Usually the words “bullet” and “heaven” are incongruent, unless you’re piloting a mecha named Bullet Heaven or are leading a throwback hair metal band called Heaven ‘n Bullets. But now those two terms will merge together in League of Legends, as this week’s update has launched its limited-time Swarm | Operation: Anima Squad feature, which is the official name for the multiplayer PvE bullet heaven game mode that Riot Games announced in April (and also features too many punctuation marks in its name, frankly).
“Swarm | Operation: Anima Squad parties of up to four players to battle waves upon waves of Primordian forces. Win or lose, each run will help players become stronger the next time they hit the battlefield.”
Gameplay details and footage contextualize this four-player rendition of a Vampire Survivors-style wave survival mode, which lets players choose members of the titular Anima Squad, complete missions, unlock and upgrade weapons, and defeat boss monsters. More permanent upgrades can also be purchased with gold earned in the mode, which should help players stand up to the swarm longer in successive matches. Players who want to face this new challenge have between now and August 19th to do so.
In addition to the new PvE mode, Patch 14.14 has introduced a cute autistic little bunny witch named Aurora, a character designed by Riot devs who are on the autistic spectrum themselves. This nimble new character is described as a solo laner and skirmisher mage with the ability to travel between the spirit and material realms, all while evading damage, cursing foes, or warping them back to her position in the case of her ultimate. Other highlights of the patch include the extension of the Hall of Legends event, another round of champion balance adjustments, and a list of bug fixes.
