New LoL champions Milio and Naafiri teased in Nidalee VO

Nicholas James Published 27/02/2023

Details about the next new champions, Milio and Naafiri, have been teased by new voice lines for Nidalee, recently added to League of Legends.

The next two champions for League of Legends have both had their names, loose thematic, and some details released ahead of their proper reveals. One is an Ixtali support named Milio, the other is a Darkin assassin who awakens in Shurima named Naafiri. We already know a few things about each of them, but a recent update to League veteran Nidalee’s voice lines has brought new details to light. Here’s what Nidalee’s new voice lines tell us about both of them.

Milio and Naafiri teased by Nidalee VO

Nidalee is an Ixtali shapeshifter whose lore has lagged behind the development of the newest region to League of Legends. Milio, the upcoming male enchanter who uses fire spirits, is also from Ixtal. With Milio coming to League of Legends, Nidalee’s gotten a small update to her voiceover to add new lines with both existing champions and two that are not yet released. What do Nidalee’s interactions with the two of them have to tell us about the next two arrivals to Summoner’s Rift?

https://youtu.be/UMGyw-Ephks

In the new lines, Nidalee has an interaction in which she says, “Little Firebug, our Pakiti trusts you, but they are naive.” This is almost certainly an interaction with Milio, who has been very clearly described as a wielder of elemental magic performing a pilgrimage through Ixtal to reach its capital. It’s unclear exactly what “Pakiti” means, but the League of Legends community’s resident lore detective and YouTuber Necrit has some good theories.

For Naafiri, Nidalee says, “Ha! Dog-beast, I will show you what it means to be a pack mother!” She also has a line for when she kills Naafiri, saying, “Dogs? Really, Naafiri?” This confirms what was already highly suspected and hinted at by Riot Games, that Naafiri would be a Daarkin whose weapon has possessed a pack of Shuriman desert hounds. Every other Darking has a human host, but there’s no reason why an animal might not be able to wield one as well.

When will Milio and Naafiri release?

There is no currently announced release date for Milio and Naafiri, with Milio coming first and the Darkin assassin second. After their release, fans can expect an artistically-focused mid lane who seems to be from Ionia, and a vampiric jungler with a gothic origin, likely Noxus. Very little is known about either of the champions that will come after them. But assuming that these four champions are the only ones we’ll see this year, one every three months seems likely. This would put Milio’s approximate release as sometime in March, with Naafiri releasing in June.

This approximate scheduling would mean the artistic mid lane would land sometime in September, and the final champion between then and the year’s end.

Nicholas James

About Nicholas James

Nicholas James is a gaming writer with a passion for all things geekdom, as well as live theater. Nicholas is best known for covering League of Legends and other top MOBA titles, but his expertise covers numerous games across multiple genres. When not watching the LCS or playing the latest new release, Nicholas can be found doing some tabletop gaming and painting his favorite miniatures. Nicholas has also published with Hotspawn, TheGamer, Dexerto, Esports.gg and other industry outlets.

View full profile