The landscape of lol upcoming game modes is about to get a whole lot more chaotic – in the best way possible. League of Legends is diving headfirst into the "bullet heaven" genre with its new PvE mode, Swarm. Imagine surviving against hordes of enemies with unique champions, each equipped with customizable abilities. This isn't your typical Summoner's Rift experience.
At a glance:
- Embrace the Chaos: Learn how Swarm's bullet-heaven gameplay differs from traditional LoL modes.
- Champion Mastery: Discover the nine playable champions and their unique ability kits.
- Primordian Threat: Understand the enemy types and bosses you'll face in the Swarm.
- Progression System: Get a grasp on the out-of-game progression system to level up your champions.
- Strategic Survival: Learn how to navigate the maps and survive the ever-increasing difficulty.
What Makes Swarm Different From Other LoL Modes?
For the first time in over five years, League of Legends is introducing a completely unique PvE experience. Swarm shakes up the formula, swapping strategic lane management for a chaotic, action-packed survival scenario. Forget last-hitting minions and carefully calculated team fights; in Swarm, it's all about dodging, weaving, and unleashing devastating abilities against relentless waves of enemies. Think Vampire Survivors, but with the familiar faces (and abilities) of League champions. Unlike ARAM, Arena doesn’t cleanly inherit gameplay, champion, and item changes from Summoner’s Rift. This means that Arena requires a dedicated team to keep the mode on week to week. Riot is excited to start applying what they’ve learned to upcoming projects and Swarm’s reception as a game mode.
Here's how Swarm stands apart:
- Gameplay Focus: Primarily PvE, emphasizing survival and wave clear over strategic PvP combat.
- Control Scheme: Uses WASD movement, a departure from the traditional click-to-move.
- Progression: Features an out-of-game progression system, allowing for character improvements between runs.
- Champion Abilities: Each champion has a set of unique abilities with auto-aim or user-aimed settings.
Meet the Anima Squad: Champions of Swarm
Nine champions are stepping up to defend Earth in Swarm, each sporting a distinct playstyle. You do not need to own the champions to play them, as the mode itself will unlock different champions at level 1. Here's a rundown of the playable roster:
- Aurora
- Illaoi
- Jinx: A classic marksman known for her explosive damage.
- Leona: A tanky support who can lock down enemies.
- Miss Fortune
- Seraphine: Provides healing and AoE damage; perfect for supporting the team.
- Xayah: A mobile marksman who synergizes with her partner, Rakan (though he's not playable in swarm).
- Yasuo: A high-skill melee fighter capable of dealing massive damage.
- Yuumi
Each champion boasts three abilities: one auto-attack and two player-activated skills. These abilities are crucial to survival and can be customized during each run, allowing players to experiment and build their champions in unique ways.
Example: Imagine equipping Jinx with an ability that fires rockets in a cone, turning her into a veritable wave-clearing machine.
Confronting the Primordians: Understanding the Enemy
The Primordians are the primary antagonists in Swarm, threatening to overwhelm Earth with their relentless assault. These enemies come in various shapes and sizes, from small, minion-like creatures to colossal boss encounters.
Enemy Breakdown:
- Minion Waves: A constant stream of smaller enemies designed to test your positioning and wave-clear abilities.
- Boss Encounters: These boss fights are themed around the Primordian skins and will require teamwork and strategic ability usage to take down. The characters who are getting Primordian skins are set to show up as Boss fights. These Include Aatrox, Bel’Veth, Rek’Sai while the status of Briar as a villain is unknown, considering she is a playable character.
Boss Strategies: - Aatrox: Expect heavy damage and area-of-effect abilities. Stacking armor and magic resist is key.
- Bel'Veth: Anticipate rapid attacks and swarming tactics. High mobility or crowd control champs will shine here.
- Rek'Sai: Be ready for burrowing and surprise attacks. Map awareness and strategic warding are essential.
The number of bosses is estimated to be three to four as all the Primordian skins are bosses, with Aatrox being the Big Bad Evil dude
Mastering the Progression System: Leveling Up Outside the Swarm
Swarm introduces an out-of-game progression system that allows players to improve their champions between runs. This system adds depth and replayability to the mode, encouraging players to experiment with different builds and strategies.
How it Works:
- Earn Experience: Gain experience by completing Swarm runs and defeating enemies.
- Level Up Champions: Use experience to level up individual champions.
- Unlock Upgrades: Leveling unlocks permanent upgrades, such as increased health, damage, or ability power.
Example: You might choose to invest in increased movement speed for Yasuo to improve his dodging capabilities, or boost Seraphine's healing power to enhance her support role.
Map Awareness: Your Key to Survival
The maps in Swarm are varied and offer different challenges, promising a fair chunk of replayability and fresh take to combat no matter which champions you are choosing. Here's a look at the available maps:
- The heart of the city
- The destroyed part of Final City
- The underground laboratory
- The coastline
Each map will play out a bit differently.
Swarm: Quick Answers to Common Questions
- Will Swarm be a permanent game mode? No, Swarm will be a limited-time mode, running from July 17th to August 19th. However, the fact that the event is called Swarm: Operation Anima Squad indicates the possibility that there may be other Swarm modes in the future with different skin line universes featured. This initial release will be testing the waters on interest for this mode.
- Can I use a controller to play Swarm? No, there will be no controller support for Swarm, as League of Legends does not support it natively.
- How many players can play in a Swarm lobby? Swarm will allow a maximum of four players per lobby
- How long will a Swarm game last? A game of Swarm will last as long as an average ARAM game, which is close to 20 to 25 minutes at the very most. Throughout the mode, you will be able to level and get more abilities. You can also spend the in-game currency that you have accumulated to buy equipment and items to make defeating the monsters easier.
Key Takeaways and Quick Start Guide
Ready to jump into Swarm? Here's a quick guide to get you started:
- Choose Your Champion: Select a champion that suits your playstyle. Experiment with different characters to find your favorites.
- Master WASD Movement: Get comfortable with the new control scheme. Practice dodging and weaving through enemy attacks.
- Prioritize Wave Clear: Focus on clearing waves of enemies to earn experience and gold.
- Coordinate with Your Team: Work together to take down bosses and survive challenging encounters.
- Invest in Upgrades: Utilize the out-of-game progression system to improve your favorite champions.
The release date of Swarm, it is expected that Riot will come out with the game mode in Patch 14.14, which is on Wednesday, July 17, 2024.
Whether you're a seasoned LoL veteran or a newcomer to the world of bullet heaven games, Swarm promises to be an exhilarating and engaging experience. So gather your friends, choose your champions, and prepare to face the Primordian onslaught! For a deeper dive into the broader context of this exciting new mode, check out League's Swarm Mode Survival.