Riot Games has really committed to changing things up in League of Legends. This morning, the company anounced its 2016 Season Update. These were some of the biggest items announced:
Community members will be able to give feedback on a new alpha client. There aren't really any details now, but this is a big deal and players have wanted a new client for a long time.
There will be a mobile chat app, along with other social features. You will be able to talk to other League players from your mobile device now.
No more ranked group penalties; dynamic groups will allow groups of all sizes. "You’ll be able to climb the ladder with any number of teammates, going from single participation all the way to a full team comp," according to the update. "There’s no longer a penalty for players ranking together, so the benefits of grouping up will always prevail." They're giving people the ability to tailor their gameplay to their taste.
There's a new champion select system. According to the update, "each player chooses two positions (or fill!) before queueing up to find a team." They can then use the new "pick intent" feature to communicate the champ you want to play and what kind of role you want to have in your team's comp. "With the draft underway, a new ban phase distributes one ban each to the players who receive the last three picks, while the top two have a shot at securing priority champs for the team." This improvement is bound to be one of the more exciting ones for players frustrated with the current champ select system.