Hunger in League of Legends: Meet the Next Champion, Briar
In the world of League of Legends, hunger takes on a new form with the introduction of Briar, the game’s newest champion. Briar is a unique diving jungler who brings a host of new mechanics to Summoner’s Rift, including an almost-global ultimate ability that allows players to quickly traverse the map in pursuit of their next target.
A Devastating Ultimate Ability
Lead game designer August Browning recently revealed that Briar’s ultimate ability, in an earlier iteration, could have been incredibly powerful. It had the potential to decimate enemies and break damage records if it had made it into the live servers. However, Riot Games decided to make some changes to balance the champion.
The Evolution of Briar
In a developer blog released today, Riot Games discussed the process of bringing Briar to life. The blog delves into the character’s early iterations, lore, and champion design, as well as some scrapped ability ideas. One notable discarded idea was a passive ability that allowed Briar to revive herself, similar to the old design of Aatrox.
Briar’s Powerful Yet Risky Ultimate Ability
Briar’s original ultimate ability was a combination of a passive revive and an active self-damage skill. When off cooldown, if Briar died, she would revive with a substantial amount of health by absorbing blood from nearby enemies. Additionally, she could activate the ability to deal one million true damage to herself, triggering the revive and draining the health of nearby enemies. However, this combination of abilities was deemed overpowered and needed to be changed or removed.
Despite the changes, Briar remains a formidable champion. The current ultimate ability had its global range reduced to prevent players from abusing it by suiciding in the enemy’s base. This change allows Briar to engage from various angles on the map without putting herself in unnecessary danger.
Browning acknowledges that Briar may not be a difficult champion to play, but mastering her requires extreme awareness and decision-making. The best Briar players will know how to manage her frenzy state to avoid accidental deaths caused by her W and ultimate abilities.
Prepare to explore the hunger-driven world of League of Legends with the arrival of Briar, the game’s newest champion.
League of Legends, esports, Briar, champion, ultimate ability, gaming