On Jan. 9, League of Legends will be undergoing a Noxian-themed makeover to celebrate the first season under the new model. On Tuesday, Riot Games released a cinematic trailer to show off some of the new lore related to season one, dubbed Welcome to Noxus. The Black Rose is gathering for a mysterious ball, rich with subterfuge and assassination. Meanwhile, Mel is traveling to the Immortal Bastion after the events of Arcane, the Netflix adaptation that just concluded its final season.
On Wednesday, Riot released more details on the new season in a dev diary video. Mel will be the game’s next champion, and she’ll be using some of the powerful magic she showed off in Arcane to shield her allies on Summoner’s Rift.
Mel, the Soul’s Reflection, is rocking a Noxian-themed set of red and black threads. Her kit is based around projectile reflction. While champions like Yasuo and Nilah have been able to block or absorb projectiles, Mel can use Rebuttal to send targeted abilities back at their original caster, and non-targeted abilities back towards the enemy.
Mel will be unlockable for free throughout seasonal missions, and Riot will be sharing more about her past in an upcoming novel called Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf, which will delve into the relationship between Ambessa, Mel, and Noxus.
Over the course of Welcome to Noxus, we’ll see more narrative emerge. Arena, a popular game mode, will be returning as the Reckoning Pits of Noxus, where gladiators duel for fame and fortune. There will also be a new minigame, and out-of-game media like motion comics. We can also expect visual updates for LeBlanc and one other champion — possibly Vladimir, since he appears at the end of the Welcome to Noxus cinematic.
