We've got all the details on Riot's new plans for Legends of Runeterra in 2023. In addition to everything below, the roadmap also included some very interesting information about what the team is exploring with our feedback in mind.

  • Ways to play with international friends.
  • New limited modes and pre-release experiences.
  • Player tournaments.

Does that have you excited? Good, because the rest of the Roadmap for 2023 is quite interesting and includes a note about game-specific champions for Legends of Runeterra, which sounds like maybe these strangers will have a future purpose; Is Riot building out their MMO characters into LoR? Let's look at those new Quarterly Release Cycles.

New: Quarterly Release Cycles

Riot is changing things up and breaking the year up into 3-month chunks. Each month is going to have something to look forward to from the following:

  • Live Balance Patch featuring adjustments to cards.
    • This is not the only time they will balance cards.
  • Variety Set with new cards and balance. These are effectively mini-sets of cards.
  • Expansion with new Champions and mechanics.

Riot has more to say on each of these points.

Quote From Riot

It’s with that in mind that we’re excited to announce that players will have something to look forward to every month of 2023. These quarterly cycles offer a variety of content and updates, tailored to ensure players are not only getting new cards to experiment with, but plenty of game balance as well.

Expansions

These updates will bring new champions and mechanics to LoR. Some familiar faces and fan favorites will be coming to the game this year, alongside several champions exclusive to LoR. Those with a hunger for lore will have their hands full with new glimpses at the realm of Runeterra, and those looking to prove themselves through PVP will have new chances to shake up the meta.

Live Balance Patches

Like a physical house of cards, balance is key. These patches are not the only times we’ll be fine-tuning the game to make sure everything is operating as intended, but are dedicated spaces where we’ll be focused on addressing anything that may have room for improvement. We’ll be looking for your feedback to ensure that the game feels both fun and fair. Head on over to the LoR subreddit and look for the feedback post each cycle to let us know how we’re doing!

Variety Sets

Keeping things fresh, these are small sets of cards that drop every cycle; think of it like a quarterly booster pack or a mini-expansion. Y’all are creative, and we can’t wait to watch as you discover new synergies between these releases and earlier content. Along with the new cards, Variety Sets come with a full balance patch, making updates to any recent aspects that need attention.

What's Coming Soon for Legends of Runeterra

If you're looking for updates that we can expect soon, here's what Riot is delivering:

  • New Competitive Structure (details tomorrow)
    • Including exclusive rewards if you take part in the beta season.
  • Path of Champions updates with new items, champions, and balance.
  • New Standard Format with a card rotation.
  • Legends of Runeterra Exclusive Champions

Quote From Riot

As a small team of passionate developers, we have been taking your requests for more content with more consistency seriously, and are happy to share what we’ve got planned coming up. In no particular order, you’ll be seeing some pretty big updates in the next couple days, weeks, and months. That includes the new competitive structure (more on that tomorrow), which we’re really excited about. There will even be some exclusive rewards for those who take part in our Beta Season! For those who enjoy the Path of Champions, you’ve got new items, champions, and balances to relics that you can look forward to. Your creativity and deck-building skills will be put to the test in our new Standard format (The format you know and love with all cards legal will still be around as the "Eternal" format). And we think you’ll all get a kick (or a punch) out of our new LoR-exclusive champions coming throughout the year

What's In Development for Legends of Runeterra

Legends of Runeterra has several things in-development that we can expect in the future.

  • New release cycle (detailed above).
  • Ways to show-off your achievements.
  • Ways to obtain legacy content players may have missed.
  • New monthly adventures in Path of Champions.

Quote From Riot

A little further out, we’ve got more updates and patches arriving on a new, quarterly release cycle. That means that there won’t be a single month without an expansion, a live-balance patch, or a variety set! For our more flashy or boisterous players, you’ll be receiving ways to show off and flex your achievements on your friends, as well as some chances to get legacy content you may have missed out on. Looking for a challenge worthy of a champion? New Monthly Adventures in The Path of Champions will take you off the beaten path and provide a unique experience with higher stakes for PVE enthusiasts.

And finally, some of our more aspirational goals. While we can’t promise to deliver all of these, they’re features we feel would really benefit the game based on your feedback. We’re looking into all of these options (and more) to see what we may be able to deliver as the year goes on. Have other ideas that you’d like to see the game? Let us know on the dedicated Legends of Runeterra subreddit post!

Developer Insight Videos to Come

Quote From Riot

Curious for more? Our devs have put together some short videos over on our YouTube channel to help you understand better what’s coming in 2023. Keep your eyes open over the next couple days for more to release! Make sure to leave us a comment and follow Bard’s lead (click that Subscribe chime bell)!