League Of Legends Updates Previewed For Evelynn, Azir, And Xin Zhao

Within the newest edition of the Champion Roadmap update, two of the biggest takeaways from the news had to do with a new Vanguard champion from Freljord and an update for the Noxian ruler himself, Swain. But within the update, we also got to see some of the direction that’s planned for Azir and Xin Zhao in addition to more insight on Evelynn’s Visual and Gameplay Update.

Evelynn’s been on the update schedule for awhile now to get looked at after Urgot, and Azir has been talked about a few times as Riot tries to figure out a suitable spot for the Shurima Shuffler, but Xin Zhao is one of the champs that hasn’t been talked about as much in the past. His update is one of the smaller ones compared to the other two, but he’s still joining the other champs for upcoming ability reworks.

Evelynn

With Kayn using his shadow magic in the jungle, players may have all but forgotten about the first shadowy jungler, Evelynn. Eve can render wards useless with her stealthy gameplay, but she’s nowhere near in the meta and has been looked at for an update for some time now. Thankfully, that shadow element will definitely be kept intact.

“We want to play up Evelynn’s “PermaStealth” identity by giving her some new tools to use from stealth,” lead champion designer Reav3 wrote. “This should further emphasize her unique gameplay and also reward Evelynn players for mastering her shadow form. Evelynn’s stealth is essential to her identity, so we will also be adding unique visuals for her stealth form to make it look as special as it is meant to be.”

Her lore within League will also be updated, but it may take a bit more time before we see her back in the jungle. Evelynn’s rework is expected to be revealed sometime after the new Vanguard champion is released.

Azir

Azir often struggles between hyper-carry and and a useless mid laner, referred to by Reav3 as a “balancing nightmare.” He’s got a bit of everything in his kit, but part of his upcoming update is looking to fix his mobility that can be quite oppressive when combined with his power.

“At the center of all these issues is the Shurima Shuffle, which is his ability to dash a pretty long distance and use his ult to force an engagement or escape a tough situation,” Reav3 wrote. “We are currently looking at two possible solutions to the Shurima Shuffle dilemma. One would be to keep the shuffle and build a supporting kit that can co-exist with this iconic move. The other solution would be to remove the shuffle and push his kit closer towards his thematic, which is that of an Emperor commanding his sand soldiers from the backline.”

There’s no word yet as to which option they’ll lean towards, and players seem to be just as divided as the design team is, according to Reav3. They’re going to take their time with this one given his balancing history, so it might be a while before Azir is back in business.

Xin Zhao

Xin Zhao was one of the unexpected additions to this roadmap, but it’s a welcome change regardless. Xin is one of the two Divers that’s been talked about in the past, the other being Aatrox who’s already up for his Gameplay Update.

“The Seneschal of Demacia will be a smaller update aimed at upgrading a few of his less interesting abilities and also giving him a strong strategic identity in League,” Reav3 said. “We know that the core essence of Xin’s playstyle is his E->Q dash knockup combo. So rather than messing with a good thing, we’re focusing on the W as an opportunity to add both some counterplay and a much more skillful tool to his kit.”

Because his changes will be smaller than Aatrox’s and Eve’s, Xin Zhao’s slight rework is scheduled to be out before Aatrox’s is revealed, “sooner rather than later” according to the announcement.