League of Legends champions we want to see in Wild Rift this year

These are exciting times for League of Legends: Wild Rift with the arrival of the Elemental Rift and new champions Shen and Karma in Patch 3.1.

But the icing on the cake is the announcement that more champions are coming into Wild Rift in 2022.

“2022 is the Year of the Edgelord,” said Alan Moore, Executive Producer of LoL: Wild Rift in a video preview of Patch 3.1 uploaded on Saturday (12 March).

Moore talked about “revisiting the battle-scarred locations of Runeterra”, pointing out Zaun, Bilgewater, and Noxus as the next locations where the new champions may be coming from.

We know a few Edgelords who fit the bill, but it certainly does not stop us from dreaming and wishing for more champions to join the Wild Rift Roster. Here are some of the champions we wish to see on Wild Rift:

Top Lane: Viktor, Aatrox

The top lane is already filled with plenty of choices for solo laning, with a good mix of bruisers, tanks, and a couple of champions with ranged attacks. But two champions we want to see in the top lane of Wild Rift are Viktor and Aatrox.

Since the release of Arcane, the Netflix animated adaptation of League of Legends, in November 2021, Viktor’s popularity rose in solo queue.

The Machine Herald advocated for progress with good intent, wanting to help the struggling working class of Zaun. He is a rebel of a different kind.

In-game, Viktor is a formidable duelist in the top and mid lane, with enough crowd control and laning skills, though he can struggle against the likes of Darius, Sett, and Shen. It’s in the mid-game where Viktor shines, and he can be very effective in teamfights.

Aatrox is another popular champion that is close to an “edgelord”. The Darkin Lord’s lore and character design are very interesting and have quite a dark theme.

The champion isn’t high in the tier list in the game's PC version, but some Wild Rift players remember Aatrox as an AA-based, bruiser. Depending on which kit is adopted into the mobile version, a Wild Rift Aatrox could be a force to be reckoned with.

Jungle: Warwick, Kayn, Viego

The jungle is one of my favorite roles to play, so it’s a shame that there aren’t many junglers in Wild Rift. Jungler mains are looking forward to more additions to the champion roster for this role, and we have a few in mind.

Warwick is high on my wish list, and I’ve seen many players want to play this champion as well.

One of the OG 17 champions in League of Legends, Warwick is a great duelist in the top lane and an effective champion in the jungle. While he’s considered to be only a tier 4 champion in the PC version, Warwick can be an absolute monster with the right build.

I’m not really a fan of Kayn, but he’s the textbook definition of edgelord. Noxian by birth, with the blood of Ionians, Kayn’s lore simply fits.

He also looks the part and acts the part. The glowing red eye, the “cool” gray streak on his hair, the (slightly annoying) smirk, and his outfit (or lack of it).

The Shadow Reaper wields Rhaast and continues to use it, despite being aware that it can corrupt his body and his soul. If that’s not edgy enough, I don’t know what is.

Viego is one such other champion that could be runner up to Kayn, although he is from the Shadow Isles, not any of the three regions mentioned by Moore.

The desperate, lovelorn tenor threw a tantrum and overturned most of Runeterra to find the pieces of his dead wife’s soul, despite knowing it wasn't what she wanted.

Add to that the fact that everyone expected him to be an aged king, but he instead turned out to be a young, handsome man, complete with an open black vest and the pale, vampiric, Lestat-esque look. Cringe. As Senna would have said, “So predictable.”

But putting his lore and design aside, Viego is a popular jungler in LoL PC, thanks to the passive from his first ability helping with sustain, and his ultimate that can help with surprise ganks against the enemy.

If it's just about gameplay and ability kit, Viego is a good choice.

Mid: Sylas, Vex

Sylas, the Unshackled is a tier 2 champion in the PC game with a decent win rate in both the mid lane and the top lane. His backstory and his dark sorcery make him a good candidate for this year’s “theme.”

On top of that, Sylas has good burst damage, engage, and crowd control, making him a great choice in the mid lane.

Vex is a new champion from last year, but the emo yordle’s gameplay in the mid lane makes us wish for her on mobile.

While she doesn’t fit the locations, since she’s from Bandle City, the Gloomist is one of the champions that can counter so many others in the mid lane.

Currently in LoL PC, Vex is next to Ahri as one of the priority champions in the mid lane.

Bottom: Aphelios, Zeri

There are already a variety of champions in the bottom lane, but two champions make it into our wish list.

Aphelios is a premiere pick in LoL's esports scene, especially in the League of Legends Championship Korea (LCK). His lore is interesting, having been born through a rare celestial event.

A Lunari assassin who doesn’t like to kill, Aphelios is mute and only kills in silence, guided by the spirit of his sister Alune. Sounds edgelord-y enough.

This champion is great in the mid-game, especially when paired with a utility support. With the right team, he shines as a late-game carry that can demolish enemy teams, especially if enemy team composition isn't suited to counter him.

Zeri is the exact opposite of the theme that Moore hinted, but being Filipino-inspired, and voiced by Filipina voice actress Vanille Velasquez, many Filipino players have been wishing that she was also introduced into Wild Rift.

Zeri’s kit and base stats are insane, and she’s the top bottom lane pick right now, even in esports.

That said, the Spark of Zaun is still being fine-tuned, having been nerfed in almost every patch in LoL PC, so it’ll take a while before the Wild Rift team might think about adding her into the roster.

Support: Pyke, Rell

Personally, I am not a fan of Pyke, but he's the edgelord in Bilgewater, and he’s a unique addition to the Rift.

With the right build and the right team (and a high level of player skill), he can be a good support, or even a rare, surprise counter pick in the mid lane.

On the other hand, Rell is a great champion that has enough edginess in her that makes us want to see her on mobile.

An unlikely hero in Noxus, Rell is one of the more underrated champions, both in terms of power and character.

The Iron Maiden from Noxus has a unique character design and kit, and she stands out from the standard tropes of champions available in Wild Rift.

On top of that, her win rate is one of the highest on LoL PC, even if her pick rate only makes her tier 2.

There are many others that we want to see, but we think (most of) these champions can be considered edgelords. Or we just want to see them because of their design and abilities.

Are there other champions would you like to see on Wild Rift? Join the conversation on our Facebook and Twitter accounts!

Anna is a freelance writer and photographer. She is a gamer who loves RPGs and platformers, and is a League of Legends geek. She's also a food enthusiast who loves a good cup of black coffee.

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