League of Legends dropped their first patch of 2022 earlier this week, but fans got another pleasant surprise with the reveal of the game's next champion to join the game.
'Zeri, the Spark of Zaun' is League of Legends 158th playable champion, and whilst she has been teased for some time, her official reveal looks to have been made available slightly prematurely, following a substantial biography leak from Riot Games own website. Either way, it looks like the next champion should be coming pretty soon.
Keep reading for a full breakdown of everything we know about Riot Game's next League of Legends champion, including when we expect to see her released in the game, her potential abilities, and much more.
Latest News
17 January 2022 -
As a reminder, this week's new LoL patch is dropping slightly later than usual. As per the LoL 2022 patch schedule, We should see patch 12.2 released on Thursday, January 20. It's only an extra day compared to when we normally see new updates launch, but it'll be worth it once new champion Zeri finally hits live servers. Stay tuned over the next few days for any last-minute changes on the PBE. Otherwise, we should have official 12.2 patch notes on Thursday.
12 January 2022 -
Riot Games Principal Character Designer (@RiotAugust) has announced some Zeri adjustments going live on the Patch.12.2 PBE which nerf new legend, Zeri. We've noted the changes just below:
Q – Burst Fire
- Uncharged right click damage: 20-50 (+.05 AP) >>> 15-40 (+.04 AP)
- Uncharged right click damage mult vs low health: 3x >>> 4x
W – Ultrashock Laser:
- Missile Speed reduced from 2500 >>> 2200
E – Spark Surge:
- Zeri gets an 800 range vision bubble whilst dashing in a wall (doesn't see into brush)
- Now reveals Zeri to nearby enemies within 800 range while grinding over walls
R – Lightning Crash:
- On hit damage: 20-30 >>> 10-30
8 January 2022 -
Following her official reveal, along with a more in-depth look at her abilities, Zeri has now been added to the game's PBE server for testing. We've also been given a better look at Zeri's release skin, which is called 'Withered Rose Zeri' and can be seen below.
click to enlarge
+ 57 January 2022 -
League of Legends' new champion 'Zeri, the Spark of Zaun' has now been officially revealed with a brand new champion trailer. There is still no firm details on Zeri's release date or when she'll be added to the game's PBE.
For now, let's just enjoy the brand new trailer, just below:
For those interested, Zeri is voiced by Filipino voice actor Vanille Velasquez, who intriguingly is also the voice actor for Valorent's new agent, Neon.
Who Is Zeri, the Spark of Zaun?
Here's a snippet of info courtesy of Zeri's leaked bio:
"A headstrong, spirited young woman from Zaun’s working-class, Zeri channels her electric magic to charge herself and her custom-crafted gun. Her volatile power mirrors her emotions, its sparks reflecting her lightning-fast approach to life. Deeply compassionate toward others, Zeri carries the love of her family and her home into every fight. Though her eagerness to help can sometimes backfire, Zeri believes one truth to be certain: stand up for your community, and it will stand up with you."
Zeri's bio has also hinted at Ekko as a related champion, but it's not clear precisely how the two are linked. Although, it would certainly be interesting to potentially see Zeri in Arcane Season 2 further down the line.
click to enlarge + 5LoL Zeri Release Date
Although the developers at Riot have been teasing the release of Zeri for a number of months, her official reveal looks to have been slightly premature, after the team accidentally published her champion biography.
Anyone attempting to visit Zeri's bio on the official League of Legends website will now be met with a 404 and it remains to be seen if her premature reveal will prompt an earlier release.
When does Zeri release in League?
At the time of writing, we can't give a firm date for when we'll see Zeri released, but we know she's not available on the game's PBE testing servers with the LoL 12.2 Patch. As such, you can rule out seeing her launch before Thursday 20 January.
It's possible we could see Zeri launch with the game's following update, Patch 12.3, which is currently penciled to release on 1 February 2022 (According to Riot's own League of Legends 2022 Patch Schedule).
If Zeri is being planned for release with 12.3, we can expect to see the champion hit the game's PBE on around Friday, 21 January later this month. As with all things, this is mere speculation until such a point that Riot officially confirms their plans, so take it with a pinch of salt until we get some more official details.
click to enlarge + 5LoL Zeri Biography & Lore
The below biography for Zeri was previously available on the League of Legends website before the page was pulled from the site. Thankfully, some fans are quick with the copy and paste. Here's a look at Zeri's full (leaked) biography:
"Raised in a large working-class family, Zeri grew up surrounded by warmth, care, and many strong opinions. They were no strangers to hardship, having lost loved ones to Zaun’s dangers. Even so, their community was their strength.
From birth, Zeri had a unique relationship with electricity. Each giggle caught a spark—each cry, a shock. Magic wasn’t rare in Zaun, but Zeri’s electric charm was. It charged with her emotions, sometimes grounded, sometimes building to fierce and fiery. By her teenage years, her neighbors knew she was more likely the cause of power outages than a broken circuit. Life in Zaun was beautiful chaos, her grandma would say, and Zeri embodied that all too well.
Not everyone found her quirks endearing. To family and friends, Zeri was a lovable mess. To others, she was simply... a mess. During occasional outbursts where her stray currents shattered a street lamp or two (or twelve), Zeri thought she'd even see flashes of something—or someone—but there was no time to dwell. She wished she had better control of her volatile powers. Her determination was there, but her patience could have used some work.
Still, with every spark came an opportunity.
One night while Zeri strolled through the Entresol markets, the ground rattled from underground excavations that soon swelled into a destructive quake. She wasted no time zooming past fallen buildings to rescue trapped victims. As her world slowly crumbled, Zeri became a furious blur. She knew the chem-barons had mining facilities nearby that were installed after they'd claimed to have discovered resources better than hextech, but what they did not reveal were the risks of their uncontrolled digging.
The faster Zeri moved, the more charged she became. She thrived under pressure, realizing what her powers could do and how much her neighborhood meant to her—even if it meant nothing to the barons.
After the dust settled, survivors gathered to thank Zeri. Beneath her relief was anger. Zeri knew she could’ve saved more if she had better command of herself.
What Zeri did accomplish was sure to catch the attention of the barons. She knew they wouldn’t think twice about who they went through to get to her, and she couldn’t risk others getting hurt. Not again. To guard them from herself, Zeri scoured the mining disaster’s wreckage and constructed a jacket to contain her electricity and avert the barons’ gaze. Now she could restrain her gift to protect those in need.
Walking the damaged streets, Zeri saw broken faces. Families scrambled to rebuild, and Zeri lent her hand, doing all she could without her powers. But the more she helped, the more she witnessed. Workers struggled to jumpstart generators. Parents toiled to make meals with broken stovetops. These people didn’t have anyone standing up for them, let alone someone with a gift like hers. She knew her district—and those like it—would never truly be safe if things stayed the way they were. The barons saw them as nothing more than objects to be neglected and resources to be bled.
Zeri knew what had to be done. She couldn’t wait for the next mining “accident.” She had to take the fight to the barons.
Zeri was a one-woman force, sending shockwaves through Zaun. Word spread of chem-baron supply lines being destroyed, with reports of “lightning” striking faster than the eye could see. Enraged at their losses, the local barons formed a rare alliance, and their combined power trounced Zeri wherever she went. She tried to adapt—to strike faster—but against the barons’ endless resources, it wasn’t enough.
She retreated with her body broken and her powers fizzling. The barons were united. She was alone.
As she headed home, Zeri expected disappointment from those she let down. But what welcomed her was family, friends, and people she’d never met, all standing up to fight their oppressors. From their rebuilt homes came rediscovered courage. Zeri had never felt so inspired, yet it was she who had inspired them. She was the spark that ignited their fire.
And she was no longer alone. With the help of their neighbors, Zeri’s mother had fashioned her a rifle made of materials given by those Zeri fought for: The people of the Entresol. The gun’s ammo was Zeri’s emotions, its conductive barrel amplifying her powers directly from her hands. Paired with her jacket, she could better control her voltage, charging up to shoot precise—or, at least, somewhat precise—electric bursts. Zeri gazed warmly at her family and her neighbors. She thought she’d lose them all in her efforts to fight back, but because she stood up for them, they stood up with her.
Backed by her community, Zeri fights for those who cannot. Zaun is not perfect, and neither is Zeri, but sometimes a spark is all it takes to change the world."
click to enlarge + 5LoL Zeri Stats
- Base Mana: 250
- Mana Per Level: 45
- Base MR: 30
- MR Per Level: 0.5
- Base HP: 500
- HP Per Level: 85
- HP5: 3.25
- HP Regen Per Level: 0.11
- Base AD: 58
- AD Per Level: 2
- Base Armor: 23
- Armor Per Level: 3.5
- Base Move Speed: 330
- AS Per Level: 2
- Attack Range: 500
LoL Zeri Abilities
Passive – Living Battery: Zeri gains Move Speed whenever she receives a shield. When she damages an enemy shield she absorbs its energy, shielding herself.
Q – Burst Fire
Passive: Zeri’s basic attack deals magic damage, scales with AP, and is treated as an ability. Moving and casting Burst Fire stores up energy in Zeri’s Sparkpack. When fully charged, her next basic attack will slow and deal bonus damage.
Active: Burst Fire shoots a burst of 7 rounds that deal physical damage to the first enemy hit. Burst Fire scales with AD and is treated like an attack, with the first round applying on-hit effects. Its cooldown matches Zeri’s basic attack timer.
W – Ultrashock Laser: Zeri fires an electric pulse that slows and damages the first enemy hit. If the pulse hits a wall it fires a long range laser from the point of impact.
E – Spark Surge: Zeri dashes a short distance and energizes her next 3 casts of Burst Fire, causing them to pierce through enemies. She will vault over or grind along any terrain she dashes into, depending on the angle. Hitting a champion with an attack or ability reduces Spark Surge’s cooldown.
R – Lightning Crash: Zeri discharges a nova of electricity, damaging nearby enemies, and overcharges herself for a moderate duration. While overcharged, Zeri gains increased damage, Attack Speed, and Move Speed. Attacking enemy champions refreshes the overcharge duration and adds another stack of Move Speed. While overcharged, Burst Fire’s damage concentrates into a faster triple shot that chains lightning between enemies.
click to enlarge + 5What Lane is Zeri?
Although Riot Games hasn't confirmed a lot of the key details surrounding the champion's role in League of Legends yet, it's believed she's operated as a bot lane/ad carry champion in the game.
All LoL Zeri Skins
For the time being, we only have Zeri's default appearance (seen in the main image at the top of the page) to show us what this new champion will look like in the game.
We should in theory get a better look at Zeri and her many skins when Riot eventually drops her showcase trailer and potentially this could include a look at her alternate outfit. Once the champion hits the PBE server's we should also get a better look at her skins, but for now, we'll have to hold tight for more info.
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