League of Legends preseason update introduces new items, removes long-time favorites

The League of Legends preseason update preview is here and showcases plenty of item changes that may drastically change the game. The preview will be tested on PBE for six weeks and includes the twenty-two new Mythic items mentioned in the previous item update.

Although the preseason preview is one of League of Legends‘ biggest updates, players can expect to see changes after PBE testing. Characteristics such as visual and sound effects, item names, and start values may change. The upside to knowing about these new items during testing can give players a major advantage in preparation before the new season goes live.

On the official Riot Games Dev Blog, the development team takes a deep dive into some items changes. Here are some items from a few categories in the preview:

Marksman Mythics

• Galeforce, mobility
• Kraken Slayer, anti-tank
• Immortal Shieldbow, survive-burst

Tank Mythics

• Sunfire Aegis, Ramping damage
• Frostfire Gauntlet, Slows enemies
• Berserker Suit, Initiation

AD Assassin Mythics

• Duskblade of Draktharr, Teamfight multikill
• Eclipse, Dueling
• Prowler’s Claw, Assassination

AP Mythics (Mana)

• Liandry’s Anguish, Anti-Tank
• Luden’s Tempest, Burst damage
• Everfrost, Slows enemies

Removed Legendary Items

Unfortunately, Riot is unable to save every item. The development team is removing some long-time favorites, replacing them with new choices that may function in similar and more efficient ways. Each item below will no longer be a part of the item store:

• Adaptive Helm
• Athene’s Unholy Grail
• Frozen Mallet
• Hextech GLP-800
• Hextech Gunblade
• Spellbinder
• Statikk Shiv
• Twin Shadows
• Doran’s Forgeheart
• Doran’s Hailseed

Removed Items + Jungle Items here https://t.co/uAtVrtx4ov#LeagueofLegends #RiotGames pic.twitter.com/kvsaRUCQKr

— ThePotatoWard – League+ (@ThePotatoWard) September 29, 2020

Lead Gameplay Designer for League of Legends Mark Yetter shared the updates on his Twitter feed so fans can get a quick look at what’s to come. He also took a chance to answer some questions from confused players who don’t really know what all of these adjustments mean. Many users braced for the learning curve coming up, as the game has hundreds of items that affect each champion differently.

Black Cleaver and Blade of the Ruined King
Black Cleaver and Blade of the Ruined King are adjusted slightly but still fill the role of “tank busting” item for fighters. Cleaver for spell focused fighters and Bork for auto attackers. pic.twitter.com/RmZmjAQ4QV

— Mark Yetter (@MarkYetter) September 29, 2020

Tear is now a starter item. This let’s you start stacking while you build a mythic and complete seraphs or Muramana second.

There is a trade off though it’s weaker for lane with a scaling payoff.

— Mark Yetter (@MarkYetter) September 29, 2020

The item adjustments for the new season will all depend on how the PBE testing goes, and what bugs users can find. Until then, Riot is slowly rolling out these updates to prepare for what’s to come. PBE users can expect this update to go live soon, so stay tuned!