League of Legends lead gameplay designer Mark “Scruffy” Yetter outlined a few “very light changes” recently that are hitting the jungle in the 2021 preseason.
Today’s preseason preview breaks down tweaks to camp health, XP, and movement speed, which should help beginners ease their way into the jungle role.
By giving all camps 20 armor and magic resistance, as well as adjusting their health values, it should “increase pathing diversity.” Junglers generally follow a formulaic path that’s efficient and optimal. But with camps being more uniform, Riot hopes it’ll encourage different clears.
Riot will also “expose some hidden mechanics” by creating clearer visual cues. Scuttle will shield for a percentage of its max health instead of armor and magic resistance, and will no longer heal its killer. Gromp will now provide that health and mana instead, as well as have its damage adjusted a bit. And XP changes to Krugs will give junglers more incentive to sink time into their longer clear.
The increase in movement speed to all camps will decrease the “power of kiting,” according to Scruffy. Kiting camps helps experienced junglers maintain higher HP after clears, allowing for more efficient ganks or invades. This change will benefit players who are newer to the role and potentially close the gap between veteran junglers and beginners.
Riot has also explained that starting jungle items will require “no additional investment,” letting you build normal items “immedi
“Jungle items will be a starting item that requires no additional investment,” Riot said. “Junglers should get the stats and resource bonuses they need from this item so they can immediately start working on the rest of their build.”
Riot said it’s still working out the details, however. It’s unclear how players will acquire the champion-targeted Smite, for example.
Junglers currently have to sink 1,000 total gold to purchase and combine Hunter’s Machete and Talisman into a starting item that offers no stat increase to AD, AP, MR, or armor. But the items are still necessary for being able to clear jungle camps in the early levels.
The upcoming changes to the jungle starting item would give champions the bonuses they need to fulfill their role right away, while also letting them jump into their core build earlier.ately.”
Sinc the jungle changes haven’t even hit the PBE yet, they’re likely tentative and liable to be adjusted before going live. However the current direction taken by Riot is really good so far.