Riot had an incredibly successful 2021 with the developer expanding on the League of Legends property through Arcane and Ruined King: A League of Legends Story. Although it remains to be seen how League of Legends will further grow in 2022 outside the MOBA, a new year means a new season, new changes, and new champions. For the past three years, a new League of Legends champion was released in January, with 2021 seeing the addition of Viego and it appears as though this year is no different.
Yesterday, Zeri was accidentally revealed as a new champion coming to League of Legends. Gameplay-wise, nothing was revealed about Zeri. The tease showed fans her look and her backstory, which gave players an idea of what role she’d play, and how she’d fit into League of Legend’s overall lore. Recently, however, League of Legends has further revealed more information on Zeri including what some of her abilities might entail.
During a dev video showcasing what’s in store for League of Legends in 2022, fans were given a brief look at how Zeri plays in-game. She is confirmed to be an AD Carry with electric-type abilities. Although the stats on her abilities and the unique passives they might have weren’t revealed, the video showcased quite a bit of information. Throughout the gameplay video, Zeri is seen using a machine gun which makes it seem as though this might be her auto-attack, but it’s actually her Q skill that is a skill shot. Unlike most ADCs that use their auto-attack to farm and output a majority of their damage, Zeri instead uses her Q.
Zeri still has an auto-attack, but it’s more for situational uses as it is considered a spell. Additionally, although not talked about in the video, it appears as though Zeri has gap closers which she uses to close short distances like a dash or to jump over large terrain. The last ability showcased was some form of AOE ultimate that helped her team turn a fight around.
The abilities showcased in the video are interesting with the Q skill auto-attack being the most unique. It does feel similar in a way to Jinx in the way she switches between either a rocket or a minigun with her Q depending on the situation. Zeri being from Zaun, it’s entirely possible this similarity is intentional as Jinx also resides there. It remains to be seen whether or not Zeri might pop up in the second season of Arcane.
Although Zeri’s initial reveal was met with mixed reactions over her appearance, many fans have commented on how much better her appearance looks in-game over her splash art. Others are concerned that Zeri’s kit might be too stacked. For now, fans will just have to wait and see how she plays in-game and whether or not she will be nerfed or even buffed in a League of Legends patch.
League of Legends is available for PC.
