LoL Developers Acknowledge Aurora’s Previous Frustrating State Before Necessary Role Change

League of Legends creators Riot Games have acknowledged that their latest addition to the game, Aurora, was deemed too difficult to play against in the top lane. As a result, she was relocated to the mid lane.

Riot Games is preparing to unveil their latest addition to the League of Legends roster. Originating from the Frejlord region, Aurora is a mage who excels in the solo lane with her mid-range abilities. She has the ability to kite and heal, as well as wear down opponents by unleashing powerful bursts with her ultimate and Q.

The character’s gameplay is reminiscent of Lillia’s, as she receives increased movement speed and healing from her passive. This allows her to easily outmaneuver her opponents while gradually whittling down their health with her abilities. However, this also means her range is somewhat restricted, leaving her vulnerable if proper caution is not taken.

According to Riot, Aurora was primarily created for solo lanes and was initially meant to be exclusively played as a top laner with some potential for mid lane play. However, her kit was altered when the developers acknowledged that she was too difficult to face in the top lane, leading to frustration for opponents.

Reav3 notes that Aurora was originally a top laner, but they shifted her towards mid due to being highly frustrating due to her mobility, range and durability pic.twitter.com/jXQwRZOn8K

— Spideraxe (@Spideraxe30) June 20, 2024

According to Riot’s ‘Reav3’, Aurora was initially created as a top lane champion and although she was enjoyable to play, she proved to be “extremely frustrating”for other top lane fighters.

During this version of Aurora, she had reduced burst damage and was more durable. As a result, her kit provided an excessive amount of mobility, range, and tankiness. The developers ultimately shifted her away from this tankier playstyle and focused on enhancing her burst potential.

As a result, she was directed towards the middle lane instead of the top, as Riot did not want to impose a specific role on her. Instead, they allowed her to naturally gravitate towards the middle lane towards the end of her development.

Due to the similarities in Aurora’s playstyle to Lillia’s, it is understandable that Riot would not want her to have a top lane focus. This is because playing Lillia in the top lane often leads to a frustrating experience for champions in that role.