Five League of Legends characters we’d love to see in Project L

Project L is a long way off, there’s just some solid information for excited parties to skim. There’s a hunger for updates and a lot of speculation about what to expect from Riot Games’ next big game.

With that in mind, with a lot of variables up in the air, we created a list of five League of Legends characters that we’d like to see in Project L. Having thought about the subject, many League characters have kits that can be neatly translated into a 2D fighter, making finding ideal roster additions easy.

Sett

Our first choice is an obvious one, a character almost too perfect for a 2D fighter thanks to his boxing kit in MOBA. We’re talking, of course, about Sett, a relatively new addition to the League line-up with a variety of melee abilities that translate beautifully into Project L.

There’s the obvious variety of jabs and enhanced punches that make the transition easy to imagine, but also Sett is one of the few champions who can be classified as a grappler in the same vein as Street Fighter’s Zangief or Hugo. If there were a direct comparison of how Sett could play, fighting game fans might consider Miguel to be a great comparison. A quick look at his loadout shows just how exciting a Street Brawler-style character can be.

Also, his ultimate is a bouncing powerbomb. It’s like too perfect not to pull off as an all-or-nothing grab that results in massive damage. Since there aren’t really many other characters filling the role of Sett, it seems like a no-brainer, much like typical Sett players.

ced

Here’s an interesting one. There’s a long tradition of certain characters using clones or delayed afterimages for some clever combos in fighting games. Now there’s a duo of characters who could fit that bill from the League cast, but since Le Blanc is a ranged character with a moveset that doesn’t easily translate to Project L, Zed remains our top pick.

An extremely popular assassin in League of Legends, Zed possesses a variety of ranged and melee abilities in addition to a shadow clone that he can teleport to. This clone, an important aspect of both his fundamental pressure on the trail and his escape plan, is the main reason we think he’s a brilliant addition.

A clone opens up many possibilities for a unique fighting game moveset. You could opt for the Noob Saibot style of Mortal Kombat, where a character marks their partner for devastating attacks and ambiguous mix-ups that test an opponent’s defensive skills. Alternatively, you could go all the way and have the clone on-screen as a permanent threat. We’re not talking about Ice Climbers in Smash Bros, but rather Yun’s Genei Jin Super from Street Fighter 3, where the clones repeat the player’s attacks a few frames after they’re used.

There’s plenty of room for interesting stuff at Zed. As one of League’s most iconic characters, it’s an addition we’d love to see.

Maokai

Maokai doesn’t get much love, but we’d be so lost without him. The coolest tree in League of Legends to take its leaf and join the cast of Project L could be perfect for those looking for a big bodied character and some tricky setups.

The Secret Why Maokai Fits So Well? seedlings. In the game, these little guys are thrown to the ground to apply some pressure when charging at enemies. They can also grow into larger pals if thrown into bushes, making them an even greater threat to those trying to trespass on Maokai’s territory.

If this doesn’t sound like the cornerstone of a major bruise with some serious ground pressure, I don’t know what does. Combined with a big slam, a target dash to close the distance to other characters, and his ultimate root wave that would make for a great super move, Maokai seems like the perfect choice for a bruiser/rushdown hybrid be.

Taking inspiration from other games here, we had Gargos in mind from the excellent Killer Instinct reboot. An absolute monster in his own game, Gargos combines some suppressing attacks of his own with a wave of minions pouring across the screen with added pressure. Up close, these minions can really mess up a blocking opponent. Lots of fun, I promise.

jayce

Okay, let’s get to the weirder picks. Jayce has become quite popular since the release of Arcane last year and has a fairly skilled playstyle as a champion who can switch between ranged and melee combat at will. This opens the door to a rather engaging fighting game character, suddenly able to switch from long-range poking to swooping down with his powerful hammer.

With unique moves for both forms, this would likely make Jayce one of the more complicated characters in Project L. But that’s totally fine considering Jayce is already one of the more difficult champions in MOBA. He’s a challenging pick that offers big rewards, but you need some of them, even as Project L lowers other fighters’ barriers to entry.

There are many fighting game characters that can switch seamlessly between staying in range and pulling off devastating combos. Games like Blazblue and Mortal Kombat have plenty of options that fill that role, but when it comes to stance switching, your options are somewhat limited. Nightwing from the Injustice series is a great example of what we’re talking about, as her ability to switch between batons and staff changes her playstyle significantly. In a fighter you need some tricky characters and Jayce is a great choice for that.

relationship

Our final choice is also an out of the box choice, with a character not easily imagined in a 2D fighter. Kindred is a ranged jungle that primarily uses his bow to attack champions from afar, while his Phantom Wolf partner snips away chunks of anyone in range.

Believe it or not, there are puppet figures that allow users to control two separate bodies. Typically found in anime fighters, this lesser-known archetype is inherently complex. However, it offers a distinct twist on the typical long-range combatants you’d typically see, and as such would occupy a special small spot in the Project L cast. For comparison, the most popular puppet character is probably Smash Bros’ Rosalina & Luna, but if you’re a fan of recent big titles, Guilty Gear: Strive’s Zato is another glaring example. It’s about applying pressure from multiple angles to create a devastating effect.

Whether this type of champion would fit into the more beginner-friendly blueprint that the folks at Riot Games seem to be aiming for is a big question mark with this pick, but if they’re willing to pick up some more complicated picks, then Kindred is one we’d like to see.

These are our top five dream characters that we would like to see in Project L. If there’s a selection you’d like to see in Riot’s up-and-coming fighter, let us know below who and why they’d be a good choice. As long as it’s not Teemo.

For more Project L content, check out our feature on does Project L have what it takes to make it big?