When is the League of Legends Season 14 release date? League of Legends has a legacy like no other, and as we approach Season 14, Riot Games gave us a sneak peek into what the new season will look like, and it does not disappoint.
Whether you’re a die-hard League of Legends fan or have a passing fancy for MOBAs, a new season always brings something to be excited for, whether you’re poring over the best LoL champions for beginners, or are a seasoned pro. Season 14 is no different. With Summoner’s Rift getting a rebalance, Baron making itself at home, and items getting a full rework, there is plenty to get your teeth into this season.
League of Legends Season 14 release date estimate
The League of Legends Season 14 release date is Wednesday, January 10, 2024 when patch 14.1 releases.
LoL S14 map changes
In Season 14, Summoner’s Rift will receive some massive changes; much like the seasons before it, but the changes being made to our favorite battleground this year will be themed specifically around balancing the rift.
The top lane has been made more symmetrical. The blue side remains largely the same, but you can no longer walk from the jungle to the red side tower, instead being blocked by a rock that will steer you behind it. This means those ganking the red side top lane now only have two avenues of attack instead of three. The blue side bush in the river has been replaced by a new pixel bush in the middle of the river.
In the jungle, the wall parallel to the dragon area on the blue side has completely changed, making it easier to get from the blue side to the dragon pit thanks to better bushes, thinner walls, and larger pathways. We expect this to completely change how we play for dragons.
The mid lane has almost entirely changed. Blue and red sides are now mirror images of one another, with their respective blue buff jungle paths being repositioned, making them better protected by their towers. This means if your enemy jungle tries to gank via the blue buff, they’ll have a much harder job. The river entrances to the lane have been pushed back for a less claustrophobic feel.
The bot lane has also been made more symmetrical, with most adjustments happening on the red side. The bush next to the red tower has been removed, opening a passage that connects the blue side jungle, bot lane, and the river into one cross-section, with a bush in the center for protection. As with the top lane, the red side bush has been replaced with a single-pixel bush in the center of the river.
LoL S14 Void changes
Everyone’s favorite purple monster dimension will be making its presence far more known on the Rift this season, with sweeping changes coming not only to the baron pit but the jungle as a whole.
Voidgrubs
At five minutes into the game, three Voidgrubs will spawn in the baron pit instead of Rift Herald. These Voidgrubs are exactly what they sound like, Void-corrupted grubs that, when aggroed, unleash a swarm of Voidmites to defend their hosts. For each Voidgrub you slay, you and your team will earn a stack of “The Hunger of the Void” buff. This buff will give the user damage over time and bonus damage to structures attacked. The more Voidgrubs you slay, the better the buff, and when you reach five to six stacks, you will start to spawn Voidmites to join in the attack.
Rift Herald
Shelly has been given another makeover that is more in line with their other void-born siblings. Our favorite tower cracker has also been given a new feature, when slain and the Eye of the Herald is crushed, you will have the ability to right-click the Rift Herald and ride it. When riding Shelly you begin to charge and can direct its movements like a Sion ult. Once you hit a wall or a tower, you will be ejected and Shelly will continue moving down the lane to attack the enemy.
Baron Nashor
Our seasonal hat-wearing void monstrosity is the star of the show this season. With the Void slowly taking over Summoner’s Rift, it makes sense that the epicenter of that corruption would be given the attention it deserves.
The Baron Nashor has been given a redesign to put them more in line with other void creatures, and can now spawn as one of three forms throughout the game. Each form not only changes how Baron looks, it changes how they fight and even how the terrain around them morphs and moves.
The first of their three forms is the ‘Hunting Baron,’ which is the closest to the original Baron Nashor. The pit is unchanged but their attacks will now blast all nearby enemies with lightning from above.
The second form is the ‘Territorial Baron,’ this form creates a wall in front of the pit and opens the sides of the pit making it a semicircle. The Territorial Baron when aggroed will use its hands to pull enemies closer and deal damage.
The final and most spectacular form is the ‘All-seeing Baron,’ this Baron closes off the front and opens up both sides, almost creating a tunnel. In their all-seeing fashion, this new Baron will open a void rift that creates damage over time zones within the tunnel pit.
Voidborn
The pit has seen a lot of changes this season, but when the clock strikes 20, the Void corruption spreads throughout the rift. Jungle camps like Red Brambleback, Blue Sentinel, and Rift Scuttler are corrupted and turned into their Void counterparts, turning them into Voidborn.
Each creature becomes tankier making them harder to slay, but the extra effort it takes will be rewarded with buffs. When you slay the Voidborn Brambleback or Voidborn Sentinel, the buff is given to not only the player who slays the Voidborn but all their allies as well. When you slay the Rift Scuttler, it will send out a massive Scryer’s Bloom effect, revealing champions and wards in a large surrounding area.
LoL Season 14 item changes
The number of changes coming to items this season is staggering so here is a breakdown of what you need to know coming into the new season.
Mythic items are gone. Whether you loved them or hated them, Mythic items and the Mythic system are no longer in play and instead a number of items have been removed, while others have been kept but are now missing their Mythic status.
Items have now been put into categories, including Mage items, Assassin items, Tank items, Enchanter items, Fighter items, and Marksman items. Each category has had items removed and added, some notable mentions are the removal of Galeforce, Goredrinker, Chalice of Harmony, Gargoyle’s Stoneplate, Duskblade of Draktharr, and Crown of the Shattered Queen. To compensate for this loss, Riot Games has added several items that will keep the game alive and fresh.
Finally, all support items and quests have been combined into one item, the World Atlas, which transforms it into a Runic Compass after earning 500 gold and gives it the ability to hold ward charges. After you earn 1000 gold from your Runic Compass, it will turn into a Bounty of Worlds. Once in this final state, the time can be upgraded into one of five support items that have their strengths and weaknesses.
So there it is, Season 14 is looking good so far, and as we learn more we’ll make sure to keep you in the know. If you’re like me and making that final push on the ranked ladder, make sure you’re using our League of Legends tier list. If reading about the new season has got you in the mood to try League of Legends for the first time, check out our League of Legends beginner’s guide. Whether you’re Unranked, Silver, or Challenger, we look forward to seeing you on the Rift.