If you’re a League of Legends fan, you’ll know there’s a new face headed to Riot’s flagship MOBA game very soon. Called Akshan, he’s a “midlane marksman with a grappling gun, stealth, and a revive” – as well as a suave, cool-guy flair – who’s coming with League of Legends patch 11.15. His signature bit of kit is that grappling hook, and it was teased a while back – but it turns out it could have belonged to another champion entirely.
Current lead game designer on the multiplayer game’s Summoner’s Rift team Jeevun Sidhu has revealed on Twitter that Riot originally tested Akshan’s grappling hook for fighter champ Camille years back. “I guess I can share this now. Started this spell five years ago on Camille,” the dev says, which naturally would have been for her E ability, Hookshot, which lets her pull herself towards a wall and power off of it, knocking up enemy champions as she lands.
This comes alongside a clip showing another champion – Katarina – subbing in to demonstrate the kit. As you can see below, there’s a clear parallel between the carving, swooping movement she demonstrates grappling around the rift and the kit Akshan’s now landed on the PBE with.
Here’s the tweet:
I guess I can share this now.
Started this spell 5 years ago on Camille. Couldn't find a way to make it useable for anyone not named @Nickwusmith.
Got another shot on a ranged champ and it worked much better. 🙂 pic.twitter.com/kXogwpvXvB
— Jeevun Sidhu (@JeevunSidhu) July 7, 2021
Here’s Akshan in action on the PBE:
While Camille’s abilities see her take a more direct line around the battlegrounds using her own kit, Akshan’s version sees him use the shape of the space really creatively, with his E – Heroic Swing – letting him swoosh around in the cast direction, firing at the enemy closest by, and recast the ability to jump away in the direction of the cursor and let off a final shot.
If you’re keen for the full rundown of Akshan’s abilities. be sure to check out the patch notes linked above. He hits the live game on July 21 when patch 11.15 drops.