Earlier today, League of Legends players got started on the latest event, Spirit Blossom 2020 and bonding with certain champions. But rewards aren't the only thing the community is excited about since the Nexus Blitz game mode is also making its long-awaited return.
Nexus Blitz was an experimental game mode released during the summer of 2018 for several weeks and then briefly revived during the spring of 2019. Although Nexus Blitz was a favorite because of its short match length, data showed that playtime for the game mode dropped heavily by the end and Riot Games made the decision to pull the mode.
However, the community remained adamant in their love for Nexus Blitz which resulted in Riot finally bringing it back, with a few changes, until the end of Spirit Blossom 2020. For first time Nexus players or returning veterans, there are several things to keep in mind during a chaotic Nexus Blitz match.
Playing on Nexus Blitz
Role assignments are a little different compared to Summoner's Rift with 3 laners and 2 junglers compared to the 5 specialized roles in a normal League of Legends match. Additionally, Nexus Blitz only has 2 lanes so 1 player will always be going solo against an opponent. The jungle is split between the 2 lanes, with various camps filled by tougher monsters than those found on Summoner's Rift. The 2 junglers must work together to clear these camps, but will share increased EXP, gold, and buffs by doing so.
Furthermore, champions will automatically get gold by being near minion or monster kills. Finally, getting 4 kills without dying grants the ON FIRE! buff which gives increased attack speed, AD, AP, CDR, and resource regeneration but slightly increases damage taken while reducing shielding and healing. If someone gets ON FIRE!, the match will surely end soon unless they are stopped.
Nexus Blitz Events
Around every 3 minutes, a random event happens on Nexus Blitz that all players participate. Depending on the event, some champions will do much better or ensure a win.
- Bardle Royale (Classic): The 2 teams fight for survival as a battle royale circle slowly gets smaller on the map. Anyone outside the circle almost instantly gets burned to death, so champions with knockbacks like Poppy can quickly eject enemies for a win.
- Bardle Royale (Paranoia): It's a bardle royale, but everyone has the nearsighted debuff and can only see what's close by. Champions with AOE skillshots like Brand and Vel'Koz can fire away until enemies inevitably get chunked or killed.
- Bardle Royale (Juggernaut): Another bardle royale, but 1 champion on each team gets bonus health and the ON FIRE! buff. Protect and support that teammate at all costs to secure victory in this event.
- URF Deathmatch: It's a team deathmatch in the center of the map, but everyone has URF cooldowns. Defeat the other team twice to win.
- Loot Teemo: A giant Teemo spawns and moves around on the map. Hitting Teemo will grant gold and the team that last-hits him wins the event.
- Loot Veigar: A giant Veigar spawns and moves around the map, using Dark Matter and Event Horizon when threatened by players. Hitting Veigar grants gold and whichever team last-hits him wins the event.
- Push the Cart (Classic): A cart spawns that can be moved by standing near it. Escort the cart into the closest enemy structure to destroy it and win.
- Push the Cart (Attack/Defend): Both teams will spawn a cart, so it's a battle of offense and defense to see who can destroy the other team's structure first.
- Prize Fight: Both teams square off in 1v1 or 2v2 fights at the center of the map. Note that fighting players will spawn near the brush in lane, so placing some traps as Teemo, Maokai, or other champions prior to the event start can result in a quick round victory.
- King of the Hill: An area on the map becomes marked and teams have to stay there long enough to win. Because of that condition, any champions with circular AOE or extreme damage within an area like Illaoi can swiftly kill a team just standing still.
- Scuttle Racing: 2 Rift Scuttlers race down a track from top lane to the bottom lane. Champions with CC are extremely valuable in slowing down the enemy Scuttler, but the allied Scuttler is also coded as a champion so it can be buffed, sped up, or thrown across the finish line with some interactions.
- Protect the Soraka: 2 Soraka Bots that can use spells enter the match, both teams have to destroy the other Soraka to win. Champions with healing reduction can drastically cut the Soraka Bot's healing.
- DPS Check: Both teams compete to see who can deal the most damage to a Teemo dummy. Note that the dummy is coded as a champion and can be displaced from its initial location.
Nexus Blitz Rewards
For emerging victorious in an event, all members of the winning team are granted a temporary or permanent buff. Depending on the prize, it's either a small benefit or one that drastically tilts the game in that team's favor.
- Catapult of Champions: A permanent cannon near the team's fountain that launches champions anywhere on the map, dealing AOE damage and knockback on arrival.
- Blessing of Blitzcrank: Allied turrets, cannon minions, and super minions will now permanently launch a Blitzcrank hook at nearby enemies.
- Poro King: The Poro King spawns and pushes forward, breathing fire on enemies and healing nearby allies periodically.
- Battle Sled: A respawning sled appears in base that can be steered by the first player that climbs into it. Other allies can hitch a ride by jumping onto the sled and everyone will explode out upon colliding with terrain or an enemy.
- Guardian Angels: Everyone gets a one-time Guardian Angel for the next 90 seconds.
- Statikk Shock: Each player gains chain lightning on auto attacks for 3 minutes.
- B.F. Shields: Each member of the team gains a massive damage shield until it breaks.
- Cloud Soul: The winning team gets massive out-of-combat movement speed and Ultimate CDR for 3 minutes.
- Ocean Soul: For 3 minutes, players regenerate health and mana/energy by dealing damage.
- Elder Dragon: Attacks and abilities will execute enemy champions under a certain HP threshold for several minutes.
Sudden Death
If the game drags out past the 15-minute mark, both Nexuses will become giant minions and walk towards the center of the map. During Sudden Death, respawn timers are massively reduced, and killing the enemy Nexus will immediately end the match. However, the Nexuses have received upgrades and can now gain a massive HP shield, knock enemy champions back towards their base, or periodically reduce incoming damage.
Whether players only want to try Nexus Blitz once or intend to spend the next month queuing up for as many matches as possible, the game mode is certainly quick and a different take on League of Legends. But in the end, its player retention during Spirit Blossom 2020 will ultimately determine if Nexus Blitz returns sooner or goes away for a much longer time again.
League of Legends is available on PC.
Source: League of Legends