2017 is over, and what a year it’s been! As we wave bye bye to 2017, it's always a good idea to take a look back at the many things that have happened in LoL. With League of Legends being constantly updated every few weeks, there have been plenty of changes over the past year. From the preseason changes, to endless new skins being added, we’re taking a look at the best highlights and updates from League of Legends in 2017.
So clear your mind and prepare to reflect on the past, it’s time for a trip down memory lane! To start with we’re taking a look at the most recent changes, the new preseason update.
Although this change is probably still fresh in your head and is hardly a “review”, it’s still one of the biggest and most important changes to hit LoL in 2017. Featuring a whole array of changes including the removal of influence points and the old rune system, the preseason update has definitely changed LoL for the better.
One of the biggest updates with the preseason patch was the removal of a level cap in-game. This means players can now level indefinitely while unlocking new rewards on the way. Since this update is permanent, its most certainly one of the biggest highlights of 2017. Never before has a player been able to get past level 30, now everyone’s racing against each other to be the highest level!
The preseason changes also lay the foundations for what we can expect in 2018 and season 8. Compared to 2016’s preseason changes, 2017’s are a lot more dramatic and will influence many future seasons to come.
If you were keeping up to date with the latest LoL updates throughout 2017, then you should know how many new skins were added.
In 2017 alone, Riot released a whopping 71 new skins from Dreanova Gangplank to Ambitious Elf Jinx. To put that into perspective, that's almost 6 new skins a month! Clearly, Riot have been working hard on making player’s dream skins come to life. With so many new skins released in 2017, it’s only right that we pick our favourite.
Out of all the skins released in 2017, our favourite has to be the Kog’Maw skin Pug’Maw. If you haven't seen it in game yet, then be sure to watch the video below. Not only is the skin completely bizarre, but it always brings a smile to everyone's face. Our runners-up would have to be Pulsefire Caitlyn and God Fist Lee Sin. With Riot showing no signs of slowing down the number of skins they are making, we can’t wait to see what they have planned in 2018.
Another big update that hit the Rift in 2017 would have to be the new banning system. Although the system itself looks somewhat similar to the old one, there is one crucial change: teams now have 5 bans each. Compare this to the old system, and its nearly a 100% increase in bans!
For those playing matches on Summoner’s Rift (which is pretty much everyone), this is clearly a big change. Not only does it affect players banning strategies but it also has a huge influence on what champions they can choose. Due to the number of bans going up, players are now required to own 20 champions as opposed to the 16 before.
Although this new banning system hasn’t affected the pro eSports scene just yet, Riot are apparently working on a “snake draft format” that is supposedly coming soon. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled on this one, 2018 could be the year when they finally introduce the new format. Not only would this have a huge effect on eSports tournaments such as MSI and Worlds, but it will likely change the pro scene strategies forever.
With League of Legends receiving literally hundreds of updates per year, it’s no surprise that champions require a rework every now and then. Last year in 2017 a total of 6 champions were reworked starting with Warwick in January. These reworks included the likes of champions such as Galio and Urgot while also including an overall tank update. The last champion rework to take place in 2017 was Evelynn, and judging by our calendar, you can expect a new rework in early January / February.
According to Riot’s champion update schedule, they currently have Swain, Irelia and Aatrox in their sights for an update. There’s no word yet on who else is likely to get an update, but we’d probably guess another 2 champions and a class overhaul. Be sure to keep an eye on Riot’s scheduled update page for any new champion reworks that might be hitting the rift.
2017 saw the launch of 5 brand new champions with Riot releasing their first duo champions Rakan and Xayah. Compared to 2016 the number of champions released is slightly down (by 1) but it's still impressive that Riot can come up with new ideas after all this time. The highlight of the champions released in 2017 would have to be Rakan and Xayah. Although they might not look any different than any of the other champions, both champions shareability interactions with each other.
This is a first for Riot and would probably explain why they took so long to release. When you think about it, they were basically making 2 brand new champions and just releasing them on the same date. Hence the 4 month period between the release of the previous champion at the time, Camille.
With Riot dedicating lots of time and money into creating new champions, we can only guess what they have planned for us in 2018.
A long time ago in a Q&A by Riot, they announced the things that they were and weren’t working one. At the time, one of those things that they weren’t working on was a practice mode. Riot said it wasn’t something they wanted to do and they thought they could spend their time and resources making something better.
However, after a massive backlash by fans who had literally been waiting YEARS for Riot to release a sandbox mode, Riot finally gave in. The practice tool, also referred to as the sandbox mode, was released in February to many player’s delight. This proves that if players kick up a big enough fuss, they usually get their way!
Not only does the tool allow players to practice their last hitting and test champions, but it also allows players to practice specific scenarios. Maybe you want to practice your jungle route or see what happens when Veigar reaches 10,000 AP. Whatever you want to try, you can do it in the practice mode.
This new practice tool is a godsend for many players no matter their skill or background. Although it's unlikely Riot will release another practice tool in the future, it does open the door for Riot creating new helpful tools. We think an out of game ping and connection tester would be pretty useful!
As many of you know, the most significant event in the League of Legends calendar has to be the World’s tournament that takes place every year in late fall. Last year the tournament took place in China for the first time and toured across the country visiting numerous venues and arenas.
The final showdown for the 2017 World Championship where the 3-time champions SK Telecom T1 and the 2014 winners Samsung Galaxy. Going into the final, all bets where on SKT1 taking the title as their strong performance and history gave them numerous advantages. However, when it came to the final showdown, SKT1 where schooled like a Bronze team in Challenger.
The final result ended 3 - 0 to Samsung Galaxy and they picked up their 2nd World Championship win holding their heads up high. In response to Samsung Galaxy winning the tournament, the limited-edition Championship skin for the year was Championship Ashe. The sale of the skin raised over $2 million dollars for various charities and groups.
So there you have it, our League of Legends year in review for 2017. What was your favorite LoL highlight from 2017? Let us know in the comments!
