League of Legends Players Create New Pingu Champion for April Fools’ Day

While Riot Games continued its April Fools’ Day traditions in League of Legends by releasing more lighthearted skins this year, the League community itself has pulled off its own joke by “revealing” a new champion: Pingu, The Guide. The champion reveal was put together by several League players who organized their efforts within the League of Legends subreddit to put together the April Fools’ Day prank. “Leaked” voicelines and other supposed teasers built up to the reveal of Pingu with a champion page that copies Riot’s design to make it look as real as possible by even giving Pingu his own set of abilities.

Penguins have had a place in League for a while now through emotes, Little Legends, and more, so the Pingu reveal played off that by creating the first penguin champion who was called “League’s Cuddliest Champion.” Pingu’s reveal page showed more about the champion closely mirrored how Riot typically reveals its champions, but you’ll notice the actual web address looks a bit different from Riot’s official sites.

“An ancient force has risen from the depths of Freljords eternal glaciers,” the champion reveal page said. “Pingu, known by most as ‘The Guide’, has been a gruesome myth among the Runeterran population. Now, he surfaced and proved the old stories right.”

Pingu even has his own set of abilities the League community created, each of those complete with their own videos like the one above. His ultimate, Blizzard of Doom, reveals all champions afflicted by an effect of another of his abilities. He then flaps his wings and makes them explode, putting on sunglasses if he aces the enemy team.

To celebrate the reveal of Pingu, the moderators for the League subreddit put together a “Pingu Release Party” post to credit all those who contributed to the April Fools’ Day joke. Those credits include voice lines, concept art, and even the champion theme heard at the top of the article. There’s also an art contest going on with prizes offered to those who create the best Pingu artwork.

As the moderators for the League subreddit pointed out, the plan was orchestrated by the mods and didn’t involve Riot at all. For Riot’s April Fools’ Day plans, you can check out the new skins announced for League which include a Star Guardian cosplay version of Urgot and more.