Riot Games just dropped a dev update that feels like a pre-Worlds firework show, and it’s loaded with announcements concerning nearly everything in League. This time, the headline change is something that could reinvent how new players experience the game: The official introduction of the WASD controls.

Alongside this groundbreaking feature, Riot revealed a significant visual overhaul for Xin Zhao, promised the return one of the game’s most chaotic and beloved PvE modes, Doom Bots, and outlined strengthened efforts to combat smurfing in hopes of protecting competitive integrity and improving matchmaking for everyone.

WASD controls are coming

League is getting WASD movement. For the first time in the game’s history, players will be able to move their champion using keyboard keys instead of the classic point-and-click system. Aimed primarily at new and returning players who find mouse-only movement unintuitive, WASD is meant to lower the barrier to entry without undermining what makes League of Legends what it is. Riot’s dev team has already tested it internally, with pros at MSI, and with brand-new players. The rollout plan will be slow and steady:

The team promises to closely monitor competitive balance, especially for attack-move-heavy champions where WASD might make kiting easier. Alongside the new controls, Riot is introducing Dynamic Locked Camera (a setting where the camera shifts toward your mouse) and more customizable keybinding options — including finally letting players bind left-click without editing system files.

Doom Bots mode returns

The beloved — and infuriating — PvE mode is back. Entirely revisited with many more surprises to come, the updated bot AI will make your nightmares come true, with Veigar leading an army of sadistic AI champions. Riot shared in their DevBlog on the matter a few examples of ultimates from Wukong and Nami for you to have a first look on what to expect.

The mode comes with:

Riot even gave Blitzcrank bot a nasty upgrade: now he can hook minions out of his path just to land grabs on you faster. If you thought the original Doom Bots were unfair, this new generation is here to make you regret ever underestimating AI.

Smurfing & competitive integrity crackdown

Starting in patch 25.18, Riot will roll out tougher penalties for boosters, hitchhikers (duos abusing a smurf account), and purchased or botted accounts. Sanctions will range from ranked reward removal and rank reversion to permanent bans. Matt "Phroxzon" Leung-Harrison revealed that Riot's new initiatives have already banned 1.4 million purchased accounts, including over 4,000 accounts in Master tier and above — and it's “just the start” of a larger push to protect fair matchmaking.

Your hand-leveled alt accounts are safe — so long as you've never shared the account or used it for rank manipulation. Riot warns that buying accounts “creates negative experiences for everyone” and that players caught will inevitably be banned. These measures will work alongside the upcoming Trueskill 2.0 matchmaking system, designed to place players correctly up to five times faster and further reduce smurfing’s impact. The new skill assessment system won't be in ranked queues for a while, though.

Xin Zhao Visual Update

After fifteen years, Xin Zhao is finally getting the glow-up he deserves. Riot isn’t touching his gameplay, but the team is completely overhauling his base model, animations, and skins.

Xin Zhao'saulted skins will return for two weeks during patches 25.17 and 25.18, with upgraded versions of Commando and Imperial Xin Zhao increasing from 520 to 750 RP (still buyable at the old price until the update hits). Oh, and yes —he’s getting a brand-new Epic skin later in Act I.

Skins pipeline updates

UI & New Player Improvements

Riot is steadily pushing to make League of Legends more welcoming and accessible, especially for new players navigating the game’s complexity. One of the key quality-of-life improvements coming soon is the addition of visible jungle camp timers for everyone, helping players better track camp respawns and improve their decision-making on the map.

In addition, the Death Recap screen is getting an upgrade to make it easier to monitor enemy Summoner Spell cooldowns, decreasing the barrier to crucial information that can turn the tide of fights and prevent deaths from surprise flashes or ignites. And, importantly, it'll decrease reliance on third-party apps.

Beyond these, Riot has hinted at a series of further refinements aimed at smoothing the onboarding experience for newcomers throughout the year. These upcoming tweaks will address areas that often trip up beginners or create unnecessary friction, reinforcing Riot’s commitment to expanding the game's playerbase while preserving the its strategic depth.

Other Notes