AAA ARAM Launch & Adventure Mode Updates

Hey everyone! We hope you’ve been enjoying this star-studded patch so far, as well as your time lighting up constellations and exploring the galaxy within the Challenger’s Star. We’ve been eagerly waiting for the Adventure's Star to gather enough cosmic energy so we can see what’s in store, and it’s almost time! On May 16 at 00:01 UTC, Adventure’s Star will be live! As we mentioned in our previous Dual Nova article, when Adventure’s Star launches, there will be new goodies for you to earn as you play all our Adventure Modes. Like new and special titles for each mode, achievements, and even a special new companion who can join you on your fun new adventures!

AAA ARAM

Aside from the new goodies for you to earn as you progress your way through the modes, we also have some updates. The first major one being that Hextech ARAM is back, but with a new name! It has now been renamed to AAA ARAM. The AAA stands for Augments, Awesomeness, and Adventures. And the name change is just the start to these big updates we’ve made to this mode. We’ve added new Augments, interesting new mechanics, and are introducing tools like the Augment Archive and Augment chain recommendations to help you get started quickly. Let’s dive in and learn more about what you can expect when the new and upgraded AAA ARAM goes live! 

AAA ARAM AVAILABILITY

We have heard a lot of feedback about how AAA ARAM is a fan-favorite mode and how you all want more of it. After we’ve spent the past few patches evolving the mode, we feel there is enough content to now extend the availability of this mode! So AAA ARAM will be live from May 16 00:01 UTC until the end of the season in this patch! We’ll also be adding new content in the mid-season, so stay tuned for those updates in the coming weeks! 

UPGRADED VISUAL EFFECTS 

Embark on an adventure into the unknown with us! To match the rest of the star-studded game, we added a ton of new visual effects to AAA ARAM. Including galaxy animations in non-combat areas on the map, new animations for Health Relics, and more! You can also trigger some special visual effects when certain conditions are met in-game. Queue up with your friends to try and find out together what they are! We also upgraded the Augment selection screen, and the Augments look more stunning than ever.

AUGMENT ARCHIVE 

The Augment Archive will be making its return, but with a fresh new look! Just tap the button at the top-right corner of the AAA ARAM entrance portal to pull up the Augment Archive, where you can view brief and detailed descriptions for each Augment as well as their empowered effects after they’re upgraded.

AUGMENT EMPOWERMENT

While you and your friends are playing, your Augments will have a chance to become empowered and gain additional effects. Each empowered Augment offers a unique bonus effect, which can serve as the foundation of your Augment lineup or as a powerful stand-alone ability. Empowered Augments will greatly enhance your champion in certain aspects and can even change the course of the game. Here are a few examples featuring Augments that the team loves and had fun playing with during our internal testing:

• Hi-Precision Sharpshooter
  • Basic effect: Hitting an enemy with an ability at long range reduces its cooldown.
  • Empowered bonus: Hitting an enemy with an ability at long range reduces your ultimate ability's cooldown.
• Blade Waltz
  • Basic effect: Gain the Blade Waltz spell.
  • Empowered bonus: Reveals Vitals on an enemy. Striking a Vital deals true damage and restores Health.

If you want to learn more details about empowered Augment effects, you can learn about them in the Augment Archive. 

NEW AUGMENTS 

When the team began work on the upgrade to this fan-favorite mode, it was important for us to add some new Augments to diversify your gameplay even more! We’ve added or reworked over 60, and they’ll be available when the patch drops. The team is still hard at work, though, so we’ll have even more Augments reworked or added in the mid-season update. 

Here's a peek at some of the new Augments and their empowered effects: 

• Dashing
  • Basic effect: All basic abilities have their cooldowns reduced and are treated as movement abilities.
  • Empowered bonus: Greatly reduces the cooldowns of movement abilities.
• Wind Beneath Blade
  • Basic effect: The higher your Armor Pen and Magic Pen are, the faster you are.
  • Empowered bonus: Greatly increases Armor Pen and Magic Pen when you attack an isolated enemy.

To learn more about other Augments and their effects, make sure to check out the Augment Archive once the update is live! 

AUGMENT REMOVAL 

While we've reworked and added a handful of Augments, we’ve also removed over 30 Augments. Augments like the Dragon Soul series and the Punch Technique series were some of the ones removed. But have no fear, just like we’re bringing back Black Hole this patch, these removed Augments will return in the future better than before.

AUGMENT CHAINS

Two new Augment Chains have also been added. When fate and the great unknown align, they become much more powerful than even the soul of the eldest dragon.

Fate Augments:

Collect three Fate Augments (Wealth, Wisdom, Adventure, Supremacy) to increase your level cap to 18. Collect four Fate Augments to upgrade an additional Augment into a Starlight Augment.

Unknown Augments:

Collect three Unknown Augments (Unknown Damage, Unknown Defense, Unknown Reset, Stroke of Luck) to draw an additional Augment. Collect four Unknown Augments to upgrade an additional Augment into a Starlight Augment.

AUGMENT RANDOMIZATION OPTIMIZATION

We've also optimized the Augment randomization rules so that Augments no longer reappear in future selection screens after they've been passed over.

UNBOUND FRENZY

In Patch 6.0 we released Unbound Frenzy for the first time, and as David Xu shared in a recent dev blog, we wanted to bring this mode back again with a couple of adjustments. We’re ready to bring it back this patch with four brand new champions! We can’t wait for you to see their magical transformations in their kits, courtesy of the Chili Immortal! Take a look at the new champs and their whimsical kits: 

Fiora:

• Duelist's Dance reveals more Vitals, and striking multiple Vitals with Lunge transforms it into Blade Waltz. Riposte stabs at multiple angles, and Grand Challenge reveals all Vitals on enemy champions.

Heimerdinger:

• Heimerdinger can place turrets on allied champions and connect turrets to fire laser beams with H-28 G Evolution Turret. UPGRADE!!! provides a stronger buff to basic abilities.

Lillia:

• Blooming Blows autocasts at no cost; Watch Out! Eep! has a greater jump distance and jumps over terrain; Swirlseed deals splash damage in a bigger area; and Lilting Lullaby makes enemies sleep longer.

Rumble:

• When Rumble is Overheated, Junkyard Titan grants Attack Speed and Movement Speed and burns nearby enemies, dealing damage over time. While Overheated, Flamespitter's flamethrower range also increases. When Rumble is in the Danger Zone, Electro Harpoon launches three harpoons. The Equalizer fires additional rockets at enemy champions in range.

Additionally we made a few stat adjustments. Damage bonuses for ability-based playstyles have been given to Master Yi, Yasuo, and Renekton.

ARENA 

We hope you’re ready to battle it out and duel to the death! Proving you’re the best of the best in Arena. Because it will also be going live on May 16 with some exciting updates! 

NEW AUGMENTS

We’re adding 31 new Augments this patch. The mechanics of the new Augments will be identical to those in AAA ARAM. However, the stats of certain Augments will be slightly different so that it’s more in-line with Arena. Corresponding Synergies will also be added for these Augments. Check out the Arena Augment archive for more details!

AUGMENT REMOVAL 

To make room for the new Augments, we’re removing 19 current Augments, like Fortune Coin and the Dragon Soul series. Don’t fret though! Just like how we’re bringing back Chauffeur, these Augments will return bigger and better in a future patch. 

MAP CHANGES 

We’re increasing the Augment limit from six to eight. So you’ll be able to select one Augment per round for the first eight rounds. With the addition of more Augments, we’re also adjusting the time each round, so that you have more time to select Augments. We’ve also made the following quality of life adjustments: 

• Unused refreshes can now be saved for future Augment selection.

• Items can now be purchased and sold anytime, anywhere.

• Added a training dummy for byes.

• Added a new Synergy.

HEXTECH LAB

Hextech Lab has been closed, and the Hextech Control Unit and Arena Perk Passes removed. Purchased Victory Ensigns have been upgraded to Star Spotlight. Star Spotlight and kill effects can be viewed in Collections once the mode is available.

GALACTIC ADVENTURE’S AWAITS 

That’s all for our updates for these modes, but remember we will be back for a mid-season update with even more fun for your adventures with your friends. We wish you the best of luck on your cosmic adventure and hope you enjoy the new and improved AAA ARAM, as well as some of the updates we made to Unbound Frenzy and Arena. Please continue to send us your feedback so that we can continue to improve and iterate on these modes patch over patch. We’ll see ya on the Rift!