Garena accidentally leaked some upcoming Jungle changes in League of Legends, but these potential updates have fans worried whether they're being implemented for monetization reasons or really to help junglers out.
Yesterday, Garena accidentally released an unpolished version of their LoL Pls: Pre-Season 2023 article. In this news piece, a bunch of interesting changes were revealed, the most important being that Riot might introduce a new mechanic known as 'jungle pet' to the game.
But this begs the question, is it really going to be something for the players or is Riot looking for more ways to monetize the game? Recently, they've changed the mythic content in League of Legends, even adding in new 'mythic chromas' which are meant to make mythic and legendary skins more unique. So, is Riot developing their next cash-cow?
Jungle Pets: Will They Help Junglers?
In the article on the Garena website, it is clearly stated that jungle is one of the least played and undesired positions in all of League of Legends. According to the leaked post, Riot will want to make some major Jungle changes – again – just to try and make jungle a more entry-level friendly position.
Therefore, they've decided to bring back a mechanic which was removed all the way back in Season 6 of League of Legends. Well, it's not the exact same mechanic, but similar. Sated Devourer was once an item which gave players a companion in the jungle and would help them clear, but this item was removed due to balance issues.
But, if we can believe this leak, Riot is looking to bring Jungle Pets back into the game.
These pets will help you do little things in the jungle like clearing or taking down epic monsters. As you jungle, you slowly raise and feed your pet until they've grown up enough to be able to empower you.
With these pets added into the game, Riot hopes that the jungle role will be easier for players to start off with and that the current jungle meta, which hyperfocuses on the clear and clear speed, will also be adjusted. Will this really help certain champions in the jungle and players alike?
Not sure how to play in the Jungle? Then check out our beginner's guide:
Are Jungle Pets A New Way to Monetize League of Legends?
Some players think that while jungle pets could be cute, they also seem like a new way for Riot Games to monetize League of Legends. Judging by the way things have gone, it seems like players will likely be able to pick up skins for the different jungle pups – or whatever animal design Riot decides on.
Riot has increased the amount of monetized items and while they're all cosmetic, there is quite a lot of stuff you can spend money on in League of Legends. Sure, not everything works well, like the 2022 Star Guardian event, but people will continue to spend money on these cosmetics because Riot is just that good at making them, right?