League of Legends mid-season 2023 champion roadmap: Naafiri, Briar, Jax animation update, and more

On April 29, 2023, Riot Games provided major updates on a variety of new champions that will arrive in League of Legends this year or at the start of 2024. This includes an update on Naafiri, a brand-new skirmisher Briar, a champion from Ionia, and an animation tweak for Jax. The developer also provided some information on Skarner's highly anticipated rework.

This article will provide League of Legends players with insights into all these updates to give them an idea of what to expect in the coming days.

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Details about new champion roadmap for League of Legends season 13 and beyond

The first champion to discuss here is Naafiri, who was announced during the first champion roadmap of the season in January 2023. Back then, Naafiri was just a vision. Now, it looks like she is finally ready to be added to League of Legends.

Naafiri is an assassin who will have a Darkin background. It is important to clarify that despite being easy to pick up, executing her entire kit at an optimal level will require a lot of game knowledge. Experienced players will definitely be able to get the most use out of her upon release.

The next champion is Briar, a unit hailing from Noxus. While developing Naafiri, some of the developers went a little bit overboard with the concept of insatiable hunger. However, they had to tone it down a bit, but they did not want to give up on the concept.

As it happens, the concept of insatiable hunger and thirst has been explored deeply with Briar, the Noxian jungler. She is still in development, but further updates on her kit will be available later in the year.

The third champion in focus is an artist from Ionia. This champion seems to be more on the calm and patient side, as is the case with almost any unit from the region. Unfortunately, very little information was provided on this champion except for the fact that he will be a midlaner and will be quite vibrant.

Besides the new champions, Riot Games also provides updates on reworks and animation updates. Skarner's update is still in the works, but his kit is going to take a little longer before being shipped. The rework will be pushed until early 2024 to ensure a smooth and complete experience.

Lastly, Jax is set to receive an animation update during the latter half of this year. Riot Games feels that the champion is a bit too outdated by modern-day standards. Hence, giving the Grandmaster of Arms a new look will make him feel even more special in League of Legends.