League of Legends 101 What happens during the preseason

The preseason is a crucial period or a constantly evolving game like League of Legends (LoL). Tons of preparations are made over the breaks and this is the time when those are finalised. It is also when players are oriented to major changes, allowing them to adjust and be ready for the upcoming competitive season. 

Suffice to say, there is a lot going on in the preseason which starts in November starting 2023. This is during the two competitive seasons of League of Legends. Most of which can be summarised into the following six topics for you to explore. Here are what you can expect to see during preseason with huge impact on the League of Legends competitive scene:

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Introduction of new elements in the upcoming competitive season

The preseason is when Riot Games take the opportunity to bring in the biggest changes to League of Legends. Examples of which are anything from minute details in the jungle to replacements of certain items and mechanics. A few examples of the most memorable LoL preseason change are the elemental drakes.

There was a time when the dragons roosting in the Summoner’s Rift were simply replaced by a larger variant after the last one was defeated. Its only major contribution to the team is the temporary minor buff and big gold lead. The season 10 preseason introduced the elemental drakes. It forever changed the state of the game because defeating them changes the landscape depending on which dragon has fallen first. 

The latest League of Legends preseason overview for 2023 has announcements for the jungle meta. Riot is focusing on ways to keep counter jungling a healthy strategy. Many of which revolve around Shaco and his clear optimisation and pathing. Such news affects casual gameplay, too, but only competitive players pay deep attention to it. 

Riot doesn’t release new champions during the League of Legends preseason to avoid balance nightmares while the competitions are tense. It is a great time for the company to showcase future plans. The most popular of which were champion releases and the rest of the roadmap leading up to the end of the new season. 

Testing of new features for League of Legends competitive mode

To answer the question ‘when does LoL preseason start?’, it begins roughly 8 weeks before the opening day of the new season. This is a long time for Riot Games to test the new content that they introduced. What makes this exciting is that testing is not exclusive to their employees. Casual players and professional gamers alike can participate in beta testing new ideas.

The scope of the preseason event can be big based on what is being prepared for the upcoming year. Riot Games need to be certain that all the ideas they will implement are refreshing and healthy for the state of the game in the long run. When does preseason end League of Legends? As stated, it lasts for 8 weeks or 3 months, giving the developers ample time to fully understand the nature of their new ideas. 

Major balance changes to League of Legends 

The biggest concern competitive players are wary of is the balance changes. Introducing new elements to the game is bound to shake up the meta which can be bad for the professional scene if left unchecked. Balance changes refer to fairness of the game and each of its interacting parts. 

Balancing is one of the biggest challenges Riot Games faces from time to time. What happens in preseason LoL will be marginally different from what will be published when the season begins. These changes are always for the best but the community will understandably have a split opinion about these changes.

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Temporary removal of certain game elements 

There comes a point in game developers’ and visual artists’ life when the project they worked hard on had to be removed. Reasons can vary between unfavourable reactions from preseason testers to causing game-breaking bugs. 

One such popular case in Season 12 of 2022 was the removal of the Chemtech Dragon. It was the source of much frustration among players because of how decisive it is. The effects of this particular creature can spin the favour of the game to the opposite side so effectively that it undermines the efforts of the winning side. 

How long is League of Legends preseason? This stretches for 8 weeks and some features are frustrating enough that many players think that this is too long. The best way Riot Games can maximise this allotted time is to cut their losses as early as possible. Otherwise, they risk extending community distaste beyond 8 weeks.

Perfect time for team roster changes

Another great question to ask is ‘how does LoL preseason work for teams?’ The answer is that it’s used as a time to try out as many strategies as possible. This includes roster changes, role swaps, item build optimisation, and even trying out new champions or compositions. 

The part about roster changes is the most important one because the preseason is when most contracts end. It’s up to the club managers to keep or let go in preparation for the new competitive season. You can still see some players who stick with their debut team like Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok of T1. There are also players like Carl Martin Erik ‘Rekkles’ Larsson who recently joined Team Fnatic from Karmine Corp. 

Hosting friendly matches between teams before regionals begin

Another great answer to the question ‘what is preseason LoL?’ is that it means more games for League of Legends esports betting and stream viewing alike. This is the time when teams form skrimages or friendly matches with fellow professional teams. Both sides’ goal is to try each other’s new strategies prior to the upcoming tournament opening day. 

Does preseason matter League of Legends competitive scene? Yes, because this is when pro teams can play to learn with no pressure from stakes. Such a situation is exactly what makes their friendly matches fun. With nothing at stake, everyone is free to simply explore all the preseason features League of Legends has added and adapt to them before there are any stakes. 

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Words: Clarence Clarke