League of Legends: Swain's New Direction Looks Extremely Promising

A preview for what’s coming Swain’s direction with his upcoming rework provided just a brief [...]

League of Legends Swain
(Photo: Riot Games)

A preview for what's coming Swain's direction with his upcoming rework provided just a brief look at what's to come, but the end result of the Noxian ruler's update looks like it'll be worth the wait.

After having his rework teased some time ago and eventually being added to the champion update schedule, Swain's time is drawing nearer. Now that Evelynn has been fully reworked and is skulking about the Rift, Swain is next in line for a full-scale redesign the looks to capitalize on his thematic identity as a cunning, vicious ruler.

In Swain's current form, those who have stuck with him will have no problem recalling that his title regards him as a Master Tactician, a description that invokes ideas of Swain commanding his subjects and outsmarting his enemies. That doesn't exactly fit with Swain's drain tank playstyle though, and he's more often seen in the middle of teamfights as opposed to issuing commands from the sidelines. Because of that, Riot is scrapping the Master Tactician identity and doubling down on his gameplay style, according to October's Champion Roadmap update:

"Now that we're further into Swain's development, we're ready to talk more about the high-level direction we've chosen for him. After a lot of discussions, we felt the fantasy of a 'ruthless dictator' with powerful dark magic would lead to a more satisfying game experience for Swain compared to his current title as the Master Tactician. Becoming the leader of one of the most powerful nations implies great cunning and ambition, both of which we still think are critical to Swain's character. In the end though, it felt right for the raven general to be on the battlefield ripping the souls out of his enemies rather than sitting back in a tent commanding troops."

The image shown at the top was also provided within Swain's section alongside his update preview, an ominous reminder of Swain's grip over Noxus as he plows his nation over his opposition. There are plenty of ravens to be seen, but his signature cane is absent. One would hope that it returns with Swain's hobbling walk, a deceiving gait for the powerful figure, but that part remains to be seen.

Swain's update doesn't have projected release date, but it'll likely come sometime after the release of the new burst mage champion and before Irelia's similar update.

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