In League of Legends’ Preseason 2021, Riot Games will dramatically improve the gaming experience by introducing new item categories: Mythic Items and Legendary Items will be the key to the new balance framework.
Items are a fundamental part of the League of Legends experience. Although multiple and variable items can be purchased for a champion within a game, they have a significant impact on the abilities and overall strength of your champion.
Depending on the course of the game, different items and item combinations can and should be used to adapt the champion to the weaknesses of your own or your opponent’s team and thus help them achieve victory.
These two types of items should make the difference
Mythic Items: These represent the new core of item builds. Only one of these can be owned per game and champion, as the new Mythic Items are the strongest item category in the game. Their effects are therefore much greater than those of other items and also add unique bonus stats to Legendary Items.
Mark Yetter, lead gameplay designer at Riot Games, announced on Twitter that there will be three to four Mythic Items for each champion category. At least two of these items should always represent valid strategic options per game.
Legendary Items: This is the new label of complete items that are one level below the Mythics. This includes established items like Guardian’s Angel, Lich Bane and Rylai’s Crystal Scepter.
The focus of the new item categories
According to Riot Games, the new items will be aimed primarily at making item combinations more variable for the various champions: there will no longer be any main items that are a must for certain characters in order to lead them to victory.
The item builds should be able to be better adapted to the respective game situation by the new classes, in order to avoid monotony in the item selection and to allow more game styles.
At the start for the item overhaul we set out for
33% new
33% reworked
33% retainedAs we're nearing completion we have landed pretty close to these targets
-Over 20 new items
-Many reworked significantly
-Many classic items are unchanged or lightly changed— Mark Yetter (@MarkYetter) September 16, 2020
Despite this, Riot Games attaches great importance to keeping especially established Signature Items in the system so that long-time players do not have to redesign their playing style from scratch.
