Image: Riot Games
Arcane Season 2 is coming alive in League of Legends with the arrival of Ambessa and the Bridge of Progress.
The countdown is on to the release of Arcane Season 2, as League of Legends (LoL) developer Riot Games has revealed Arcane-themed updates coming to Patch 14.22.
Headlining the update will be Ambessa Medarda, the formidable Noxian general first introduced in Arcane Season 1, will join LoL's champion roster while the ARAM (All Random All Mid) game mode will be getting an Arcane-themed facelift with the Bridge of Progress.
Here’s everything to know about these updates.
Ambessa Medarda joins the Rift
Ambessa Medarda, first introduced in Arcane Season 1 as Mel’s commanding and powerful mother, is the latest champion to join LoL's expansive roster.
As a skilled tactician and ruthless warrior, fans have long speculated that Ambessa will be a good fit to join the battle in the Summoner’s Rift. And now, these speculations have become reality as she’s set to shake things up in 14.22 with a unique kit designed to maximise mobility, shielding, and suppression.
Adapting Ambessa for LoL presented unique challenges to the developers. As Game Designer Max Perlman explained, "Season 1 of Arcane tells us who Ambessa is... but it never shows her actually in combat."
The team explored several approaches, including a Noxian fighter, a melee champion using her twin weapons, and a military strategist. These elements merged to create a champion focused on relentless aggression, military precision, and high-impact combat.
Perlman describes Ambessa’s playstyle as “aggressive, opportunistic, and relentless.” Players will need to master her passive, Drakehound’s Step, to optimise her damage and engage effectively. Perlman advises, "Getting used to the flow of casting an ability, moving, and attacking is key to success." Understanding the ideal range of her Q is also crucial for maximizing her impact in combat.
Tips for excelling with Ambessa include internalising this ability flow and maintaining optimal positioning. She thrives in skirmishes, particularly in chaotic, less structured fights, where she can isolate and execute high-priority targets using her ultimate, Public Execution. For beginners, while her gameplay may seem complex, her design ensures a clear path to mastery with practice.
Ambessa’s Abilities
Passive - Drakehound’s Step
Her passive ability allows her to dash a short distance after casting an ability, granting her bonus range, damage, and attack speed on her next attack. This skill also refunds energy, making her a relentless fighter in combat.
Q - Cunning Sweep / Sundering Slam
Ambessa strikes with her twin drakehounds in a wide sweep, dealing bonus damage to enemies hit. If an enemy is struck, the ability transforms, allowing her to follow up with a powerful slam that deals heavy damage.
W - Repudiation
This defensive move gives Ambessa a shield and allows her to brace herself before slamming the ground, damaging nearby enemies. If she blocks non-minion damage, the slam’s damage increases, making this ability perfect for counter-attacking.
E - Lacerate
Ambessa whips her drakehounds around her, damaging and slowing nearby foes. When combined with Drakehound’s Step, she performs a second strike at the end of her dash, enabling further crowd control.
R - Public Execution
Ambessa’s ultimate ability lets her blink to the farthest enemy champion in a line, suppressing and slamming them into the ground. The enemy is dealt significant damage and stunned, making this a game-changing move in team fights.
Arcane-Themed ARAM Update
Patch 14.22 doesn’t just bring a new champion — it delivers an immersive Arcane experience for players. Alongside Ambessa’s debut, Arcane-themed update to ARAM is also coming. Players will battle on the Bridge of Progress, a brand-new map inspired by the Piltover and Zaun settings of Arcane.
This update is available until 8 January, 2025, giving fans ample time to explore all the new features.
Eduardo Cortejoso, Modes Product Lead, explained the reasoning behind the changes. “There is a really cool and iconic bridge in Arcane... it’d be really cool if players could PLAY on it - right? And hey, we have a game mode that literally takes place on a bridge! Too obvious of an opportunity to pass up!”
He added, “We really wanted to allow players to step into the world of Piltover and Zaun, inspired by Arcane, especially with Season 2 coming up. Our team has always thought we could do MORE to bring the environments of Runeterra to the game.”
On how the changes fit into ARAM, Cortejoso said, “Players should see mostly a ‘flavor’ of the ARAM experience, with small adjustments to relics, snowballs, inhibitors, and the map itself that don’t drastically change how you would normally play, but add a little extra to think about.”
When asked what excites him about the update, he said, “THE SIDELANES. I tend to prefer engagers and fighters myself, so having a new angle where I can kinda ‘gank’ the enemy team is a refreshing twist that doesn’t change ARAM too much but still feels different.”
Key changes in this ARAM update include:
- Snowball Rework: The classic Snowball ability has received a visual overhaul in line with the Arcane theme.
- New Buffs: When inhibitors are destroyed, players will gain special buffs themed around Piltover and Zaun, offering unique advantages to teams.
- Nemesis Quests: Champions featured in Arcane will be assigned special nemesis quests, offering unique objectives to complete during matches.
Keep an eye on the Patch Notes for more information as this exciting content drops soon.