'League of Legends' Akali Rework Leaked: Check out the Rogue Assassin (UPDATE)
UPDATE: Here's the Champion release trailer from Riot Games and the update page on League of Legends' website.
YouTuber Professor Akali just leaked the highly anticipated League of Legends Akali VGU rework. Known for exclusively playing the shadow assassin, the Professor posted an unlisted video early Monday, which he mistakenly included in one of his playlists. Fans posted the video to the League reddit, where it quickly gained traction. The video was taken down after a few hours, along with the reddit post, but the damage had been done. Mirrors of the video have started to pop up online, and Akali is no longer in the shadows.
Akali's rework retains elements of her classic burst-and-hide playstyle, while updating it for a newer generation of champions. She still has her classic burst damage and shroud of darkness (which is now a cloud that conforms to the terrain) but can backflip and throw shurikens. Her ultimate, a classic staple of her kit, has been limited to only two dashes. She's still an "all-in or die" champion, but players using her have to think a bit more carefully about how to use her abilities. Does she dash onto an enemy squishy and shroud out, or will she wait until the enemy marksman is all alone to make her move?
This leak comes from Riot Games' testing server, so the rework can change drastically before launch. Riot brings in streamers like IreliaCarriesU or Annie Bot to test out prospective changes to their one-trick champions. The company built on the MOBA probably isn't too happy with Professor Akali, who likely signed an NDA to test out this content.
Reddit user dumnem captured Akali's full kit in a comment on the original reddit post:
P: Assassin's Mark
Dealing spell damage to a champion creates a circle around them.
Crossing the circle causes Akali's next attack to have doubled range, deal X +Y +Z bonus magic damage and restore 10 energy.
Q: Five Point Strike
1.5-second cooldown
100 Energy Deals X +Y +Z magic damage. Enemies at the tip are briefly slowed.
If cast near full energy, akali also heals for 22.
At rank 5, deals an extra +Y +Z damage to minions and monsters.
W: Twilight Shroud
17-second cooldown
Restores 40 Energy Drop a spreading cover of smoke lasting five seconds.
The smoke obscures Akali from enemy vision and grants her 20 percent movement speed.
Entering or exiting obscured extends Shroud's duration.
E: Shuriken Flip
16-second cooldown
30 Energy
Flip backward and fire a shuriken forward, dealing X + Y physical damage and marking the first enemy or smoke cloud hit.
Re-Cast: Dash to the marked target, dealing the same damage.
R: Shadow Dance
120-second cooldown
No cost
Two dashes: The first micro-stuns and deals 120 + Y physical damage.
The second executes, dealing 120 + Z to 300 + Z magic damage based on missing health.
Akali's splash art was also released today by League of Legends illustrator Jessica Oyhenart. There's no concrete evidence the art is official, but the splash used in the thumbnail for Professor Akali's video looks fairly convincing. According to Oyhenart, Akali is the "rogue assassin" and "a sleek, stealthy assassin who uses her martial arts prowess to punish those who would harm her people. She is disillusioned by the invasion of her homeland, believing she is the only one who can see the injustice and the correct path to righting it."
What do you think of Akali's rework? Tell us in the comments.
