League of Legends – K’Sante ready to defend the Rift

After the release of Nilah, Riot Games announced that they wanted to slow down the release of characters from League of Legends. We finally know who will be following the ADC released in July: K’Sante, a character planned for the Top Lane. To present it, three videos have been published: a first teaser, a 2D animated cinematic, and a gameplay trailer. If this remains brief enough, it already allows us to glean some information on what we can expect from this character.

From a gameplay point of view, K’Sante poses as a tank. We do not yet have the details of its capabilities. From what we can understand from the trailer, his kit would work a lot with dashes, and his damage would be limited enough to compensate for his role as a tank. However, it will be possible to find out more when the character is tested on the PBE.

It is especially from the point of view of his story that the character has been illustrated. After highlighting various events related to alternate universes, Star Guardian and other Spirit Blossom, K’Sante’s announcement focuses attention on the Shurima region.

More precisely, K’Sante comes from Nazumah, a city-state at the end of the desert, far removed from the problems of the region. Placed at the edge of an oasis, the inhabitants are more concerned with the monsters threatening them than with any reverence for Azir.

The inhabitants prefer to show respect to the warriors, who protect them from the monsters coveting the oasis. After 500 years, K’Sante finds himself at the head of these protectors. It is enough to see his weapons to understand the bravery of the character. Called N’Tofos, these giant tonfas slice through monsters like butter.

The cutscene allows us to have a better understanding of the character’s character. While brave and strong, he is equally reckless, impulsive and arrogant, costing him his partner in the hunt and in life, a character for now simply named the Archer.

From a storyline perspective, it seems logical to give Shurima such a formidable character: while the region isn’t without its own monsters of strength and will, the arrival of the Nether threat to the region has been teased for a long time. When the danger becomes concrete, the N’tofos of K’Sante will not be too many to protect the region.

Finally, if there was no announcement with great fanfare for the information, we also know when the character will be available: probably November 3. Indeed, if this year’s Worlds does not have a big event to promote it outside of the game, as has normally been the case since the first appearance of K/DA in 2018, a prestige skin has been planned for the character in collaboration with the American rapper Lil Nas X.

This is the closest thing to a commemorative release, apart from the traditional elements more aimed at esports fans as such. Finally, if these kinds of assertions have become subject to mockery, they have been overused, it is still worth mentioning that K’Sante is the first openly gay champion since its launch.

It’s a victory for the studio’s employees, who have never hidden the difficulties they had in getting their vision into the game – confirming Diana and Leona’s relationship had been a long battle, as was were Twisted Fate and Graves. For the latter, we can note this comment from Devon Giehlthen screenwriter for the studio:

“One of my managers was aggressively telling me to shut up whenever I suggested something about their dynamic. [sous-entendu, Twisted Fate et Graves], then, then picked up top honors for this one at the event around Bilgewater, and I’m definitely not going to let that go down. – @devongiehlApril 29, 2020

Thus, if we can understand the annoyance of some people at hearing this kind of statement, it is also possible to understand the need that some people involved in the production feel to celebrate this release.

If Riot seems to be improving in this department, at least on the showcase side, it’s definitely thanks to pushes from the likes of Alex Quachfor whom K’Sante will be the last project as leader of the “Rainbow Rioters”. K’Sante should arrive on the PBE soon, from when it will be easier to assess what the character is worth in use. And for the majority of players, it will be necessary to wait until November 3 before they can get their hands on the 162nd champion of League of Legends.