Legends of Runeterra rotation has arrived, but what does it mean for the game? Rotation is a key part of keeping card games balanced, and now it’s totally reshaping the landscape of Legends of Runeterra. Here’s the latest Legends of Runeterra rotation explained.
Legends of Runeterra: What is rotation?
In Legends of Runeterra, rotation is used to describe the process of changing which cards can be used in the standard format of a card game.
Previously, all cards released in Legends of Runeterra could be used in all modes. Now, some of those cards have been rotated out to make room for new cards. The standard format used for ranked modes will have a smaller number of cards, while the new mode Eternal will still feature all cards.
But why is rotation happening in Legends of Runeterra? The developers explained, stating “Rotation is a tool to keep somewhat of a cap on the size of the card pool. When the set of legal cards playable gets too large, then some of them are rotated out.”
Rotations will happen with the first expansion of each year. 2023’s rotation happened alongside the March expansion “Glory in Navori”.
More information on the thought process behind rotation can be found in this blog post on the Legends of Runeterra website.
Legends of Runeterra: Which cards are leaving?
A long list of champions and other cards have been rotated out of the standard format. However, they can be still be used in the new mode Eternal (all cards are legal in Eternal).
Here’s a full list of all champions that have been rotated out of the standard format.
- Demacia – Fiora, Lux Poppy
- Noxus – Draven, Katarina, Rumble, Vladimir
- Freljord – Anivia, Braum, Trundle
- Ionia – Irelia, Lee Sin, Lulu, Yasuo
- Piltover and Zaun – Ezreal, Vi, Viktor
- Shadow Isles – Elise, Hecarim, Kindred, Thresh
- Bilgewater – Gangplank, Tahm Kench, Twisted Fate
- Targon – Aphelios, Soraka, Taric, Zoe
- Shurima – Sivir, Xerath, Ziggs, Zilean
- Bandle City – Lulu, Poppy, Rumble, Ziggs
As well as these champions, many followers, spells and other staple cards have been removed from standard play.
For example, Pokey Stick was one of Bandle City’s most popular spells, but it has been rotated so can’t be used for standard play. There are hundreds of cards affected by the Legends of Runeterra rotation, and you can find a full list here.
For more on Runeterra and the League of Legends universe, keep reading GGRecon.