Riot is getting experimental.
League of Legends’ previously announced and as yet unnamed 2v2v2v2 game mode received additional details today in a “State of Modes” post from Riot.
The new game mode, which is getting its own map, seeks to encourage rapid champion-versus-champion gameplay and “push champion customisation beyond where League has traditionally gone.”
The basic idea of the new game mode is that four teams of two will pick their champions and be paired against another team in a 2v2 deathmatch scenario. Over the course of the game, champions will become more powerful through items, levels and new power-ups called ‘augments’. After a team has lost a certain number of rounds, they will be eliminated from the game.
Augments will offer champions flexibility in their builds, allowing them to either lean into a champion’s core strengths or change up their champion’s playstyle. A few scenarios were given as examples by Riot Cadmus in the post, these being “a Sylas that casts Lissandra’s W every 5 seconds, an Ekko with 500 range and a Kai’Sa that dives the enemy team, instantly dies and creates a huge explosion that wipes out a huge chunk of her two enemies’ health.”
Rather than waiting on a robust polishing phase, Riot plans to release the new game mode in an experimental state phase in the Summer. While the team works on the new mode, support for the other rotating game modes will pause.
The gone but not forgotten Nexus Blitz missed its 2022 re-release window, but, according to Riot, the game mode team will be dedicating some time to getting Nexus Blitz functional for a re-release in the near future.
The full post also details some changes coming to ARAM and the future of rotating game modes in League of Legends, and can be read here.
