Prepare Flaming Greetings for LoL's Smolder - The Next LoL Champion: Abilities, Role in the Game and Release Date 167 Champion of Summoner's Rift

League of Legends will see the release of patch 14.1 on the 10th of January, which marks the Long Corner of the new, 14th season of the hyper popular MOBA from Riot Games. The creators are preparing a tonne of content, and also - revealed the next new LoL champion - Smolder, who will visit Summoner's Gorge already this month.

In this article we have gathered everything we already know about LoL's Smolder: the champion's skills, his role in the game and the release date of the first real, albeit specific dragon in League of Legends. Let's get to know him a little better.

Smolder release date in League of Legends

Smolder has already got a release date and should arrive on the main League of Legends servers on the 31th of January 2024, week after the 14.2 update will be released, thanks to the release schedule of all LoL patches. However, you will be able to play for him even earlier: Smolder, according to the tradition of Riot Games, will first appear on the PBE server, where the developers will monitor his progress and based on various statistics buff/nerf the champion. It will be possible to try Smolder in LoL on PBE two weeks before its official release, i.e. starting from the 9th of January.

Obviously, there is a possibility of a delay in the release of the update, which may affect the final release date of the magical dragon. However, so far there are no preconditions for date shifting, so we are waiting for Smolder's appearance in time.

Who is Smolder? His role in League of Legends

Smolder is the 167th champion of League of Legends and the first of three champions who will be added to the playable roster in 2024. Smolder's main draw is his race, which is unique to the world of League of Legends. Smolder is a real dragon. Or more accurately, a baby dragon.

There are many races, factions, and character archetypes in LoL, but no dragons yet. Aurelion Sol, although outwardly resembling a dragon, is still a space creature without a specific race, and Shyvana is a half-dragon trickster, but Smolder is the first representative of these noble creatures in the world of Runterra. More information about the young dragon, including Smolder's lore, is awaited in the near future

And while Smolder's biography is temporarily shrouded in mystery, it's safe to name the 167 champion's role in the game. Smolder is the first ADC champion of the BOT line since 2022. And not just ADC, but late game game-ADC with hyper-scale. Riot Games says so, and Smolder's abilities also hint at it.

All of Smolder's abilities

Smolder is an ADC champion with a magic damage type and hyper-scale. His abilities are customised to deal magic damage and get stronger depending on Dragon Practice stats.

• Passive - Dragon Practice

Image via Riot Games

Smolder gains Dragon Practice charges by attacking enemies with his abilities and destroying them with Super Scorcher Breath. The higher the number of charges, the stronger the champion's abilities.

• Q - Super Scorcher Breath

Image via Riot Games

Smolder spews flames at his enemies. This ability has three forms and depends on the number of Dragon Practice charges:

1. 25 Dragon Practice charges: deals damage to all enemies around the target;
2. 125 Dragon Practice charges: Creates an explosion behind the target that deals 75% of the total damage of Super Scorcher Breath;
3. 225 Dragon Practice Charge: sets enemies on fire, dealing net damage at maximum health for 3 seconds. Opponents whose health falls below a certain level die immediately.

225 - maximum number of Dragon Practice charges.

• W - Achooo!

Image via Riot Games

Smoder sneezes, setting enemies on fire. Affected targets take damage and slowdown, and Smolder creates additional explosions when attacking champions hit by this ability.

• E - Flap, Flap, Flap

Image via Riot Games

Smolder leaps upwards, gaining a bonus to movement speed for the duration of the ability. In addition, flying allows Smolder to fly over obstacles for 1.25 seconds. While flying, Smolder attacks the opponent with the lowest amount of health.

• R - MMOOOMMMMMM!

Image via Riot Games

Smolder calls out to his mother, who sizzles the chosen area with her fiery breath. The ability deals heavy damage and slows down targets, and if the fire hits Solder, he gains healing.

So far we don't know about specific numbers in Smolder's abilities, as well as cooldowns and so on. We will see it all at PBE on the 9th of January, but in the meantime you can visit our LoL section, where you will find a more about LoL stuff.