Volibear’s reworked abilities revealed, release date announced

Volibear’s reworked abilities have been revealed and the beloved bear plays a lot differently than before. 

Volibear’s passive has been completely reworked. Relentless Storm now allows Volibear’s attacks and abilities to grant him attack speed instead of healing for 30% of his maximum health when near death. His basic attacks also now deal bonus magic damage to nearby enemies. 

His Q, Thundering Smash, still has Volibear planting all four feet on the ground to gain speed but now Volibear bites the enemy, stunning and damaging them. This has led to the loss of Volibear’s classic flip animation, but this is a small buff the champion needed to be viable again. 

Volibear’s W damages an enemy, applies on-hit effects and marks them. If the demi-god casts this spell on the target a second time, it deals bonus damage and heals Volibear. This has made Volibear’s bite more reliable, since he no longer has to build three stacks of frenzy to activate this ability. 

Then there’s Volibear’s E, Sky Splitter. This deals damage and slows enemies with a lightning bolt. It also grants a shield to Volibear if he’s inside the lightning bolt’s blast radius. This gives Volibear more survivability and works well with his new ultimate, Stormbringer, which grants him a large amount of extra health. Since the shield amount Volibear gains from Sky Splitter depends on his HP, this is a perfect combo. 

Stormbringer, the aforementioned ultimate, is brand new to Volibear. He leaps to a target’s location, gaining bonus health while slowing and damaging enemies below him. Enemy towers near his landing location are temporarily disabled. Even scarier, Volibear’s R cannot be interrupted. It can also be cast while moving and has no cast time. 

When will the Volibear rework be released? 

League of Legends fans are already getting pumped for Volibear’s new kit and the probable viability boost that will come with his increased mobility and survivability. His rework will hit live servers on May 28. Starting May 12, League of Legends players can test out the aggressive new thundergod on the Public Beta Environment. 

Players who participate in the game’s new ARAM event on May 12 will also get an early taste of the champion. In the event, Volibear appears for a brief moment in the middle of the Howling Abyss bridge. He lets out a godly roar and slams the ground, knocking players into the air. Players will receive an emote by witnessing this intense moment in ARAM. 

The League of Legends community voted on Volibear and Fiddlesticks to receive major reworks last year. Volibear was so outdated that his nine-year-old kit made him the least-played champion of the options on the poll. Riot’s goal was to make Volibear a “god of storms,” unleashing the power of lightning on his enemies and their structures while also maintaining the general idea of playing as a rampaging bear.