Buzz
The introduction of Zeri, LoL's newest champion, has sparked controversy among gamers who accuse Riot of copying their own game.
On the evening of 01/04, Riot released the splash art of the upcoming champion to the LoL community. Specifically, this champion will be a Marksman from Zaun named Zeri. According to Riot's revealed backstory of the character nicknamed 'Zaun's Spark', her abilities will be related to electricity. Additionally, she is described as an extremely agile Marksman, always on the move.
Furthermore, the new champion is described to make the team feel like they're in a shooter game. Riot also mentioned that the design of the new champion intends to revisit the role of basic attacks in the Marksman's kit, similar to Graves, Jhin, and Xayah. 'For this new champion, we want to revisit the role of basic attacks for Marksman champions and consider whether we can pivot their purposes.' - Riot stated.
However, across various forums, the gaming community has begun to discuss fervently about this new champion named Zeri. Her electricity-themed abilities immediately remind veteran LoL players of an item that Riot removed: Statikk Shiv.
Additionally, some have pointed out that Zeri bears a striking resemblance to Valorant's newest agent - Agent 18 codenamed Neon (also known as Sprinter). Neon, like Zeri, is an agile agent in Valorant whose abilities revolve around lightning bolts, while Zeri harnesses electric flames.
Currently, Riot has yet to make an official announcement regarding Zeri's abilities or her exact release date. However, it's highly likely that this champion will debut on Summoner's Rift following patch 12.2 as the current patch, 12.1, is already underway, and Zeri is not listed among the changes in this version.
