League of Legends' Varus Update Is Purely Lore-Driven, No Gameplay Rework Planned

Varus recently received an entirely new story across various League of Legends mediums, but rest [...]

By Tanner Dedmon

Varus
(Photo: Riot Games)

Varus recently received an entirely new story across various League of Legends mediums, but rest assured that no gameplay changes have been planned for the champion.

If you didn't catch the comics and music video for Varus' new lore when they were recently released, you missed quite the story. No longer an Ionion archer who dipped into forbidden power in a quest for revenge, Varus is now a 3-in-1 champion, two humans locked inside an eternal struggle against the sentient Darkin weapon known as Varus.

You can read up on Varus' new story here, but even though the new lore for the champion was a fantastic rewrite, it had some ADC mains worried about potential changes to the champion's gameplay. A request for Riot Games to leave Varus' gameplay alone was posted to the League boards, and Riot Meddler responded to say that that's their intent aside from some small tweaks further down the road.

"We don't have any plans for a Varus rework," said Meddler. "At some point there are some small gameplay tweaks I'd like to make. They're at the level of shifting a bit of power around and adding one additional effect to his kit though, not any major changes to how Varus plays. Also unlikely to happen for a while (hopefully sometime next year?)."

But gameplay changes aside, the new lore might've been just as big of a deal to those who value their champions' backstories. Commenting on his lore specifically when asked about the changes, Meddler, the original designer for Varus, voiced his opinion on the new lore.

"I really like it overall. I like that Valmar/Kai have a more fleshed out relationship with each other and connection to the wider world," said Meddler. "I also think the twist on the normal Darkin weapon versus human power struggle of three instead of two's a nice touch, in particular because it allows us to tell more interesting and distinct stories with Varus going forwards.

He did add that Varus' original tragic story is something that will be missed, but the new path that they've chosen for the champion opens up "the potential for future storytelling."

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