Archives: Live Feed

Spring Season 2016 is here, and with it comes Halcyon Days events, a new hero sent to destroy the Stormguard, the new Battle Royale game mode (beta), Fortress & map skins, unlockable boosts, “Draft mode for all” and more! Read on to discover what the new season brings …

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It’s time for the annual Halcyon Days celebration of Spring! Enjoy a full two weeks of special events, including reveals, contests and chances to earn double Fame, triple Glory and legendary cards. Easily follow all the current and upcoming events in the in-game NEWS section so that you don’t miss a thing!

Read all the details about Halcyon Days here.

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 SPRING SEASON MAP SKIN!

• Play on a seasonal version of the Halcyon Fold, complete with a double rainbow in the distance.
• Be sure to toggle on “pinch to zoom” in Settings so you can explore all the map’s Spring surprises!

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 END-OF WINTER PAYOUTS & SPRING RESTART

• Collect your guild rewards for a job well done. This will happen automatically in 1.16 and you’ll know it when you see it. 
• Your guild tier and rewards will restart from the bottom of the Spring ladder.
• Your skill tier will restart from the bottom of the Spring ladder, but you’ll continue to match against worthy opponents at your true skill level, helping you rapidly accelerate (and hopefully reach new heights).

ALPHA BACKGROUND & LORE

Difficulty: MEDIUM  |  Position: JUNGLE  |  Role: WARRIOR

Alpha hunts and terminates her targets with ruthless precision. No longer bound to the rules of mortality, she engages in battle without fear or caution. Alpha performs well in the jungle and can take down her targets built either weapon or crystal.

Read Alpha’s lore.

ALPHA EARLY-ACCESS PERIOD

Alpha will be unlockable with ICE only for the first 7 days. Afterward, you will be able to unlock Alpha with ICE or Glory.

 INFINITE REBOOT (HEROIC PERK)

Instead of dying, Alpha initiates a reboot sequence upon receiving lethal damage, gaining a reserve health (based on level). For the next several seconds, enemies can continue to attack her and deal damage. If her reserve is not destroyed during this time, she will reboot to ample health at the same location. The cooldown for this ability is displayed in place of Alpha’s energy bar. Once this bar is full, Infinite Reboot is available. This bar will slide back to zero during the reboot process, indicating the remaining time left before she is restored to health.

PRIME DIRECTIVE

Alpha scans for enemies along the target path. If she scans an enemy, that enemy is slowed and Alpha instantly dashes behind them, dealing damage to the target and all enemies within 4.5 meters (65% damage to minions). This also removes the negative effects of Core Overload (without removing the positive effects), dealing increased damage based on the number of stacks removed.

CORE CHARGE

Alpha lunges forward, landing a basic attack on her target and fracturing the ground for additional crystal damage in a small area. Each time she uses this ability, she spends a portion of her current health and gains Core Overload for a few seconds, stacking up to 3 times. Basic attacks reduce the cooldown of Core Charge.

Core Overload: Alpha loses a percentage of her current health every second, but also increases the damage of subsequent Core Charges and causes her basic attacks to heal her. Basic attacks refresh the duration.

TERMINATION PROTOCOL

On activation, Alpha begins a self-destruct sequence. At the start of this she gains a burst of move speed as well as a barrier (based on her level). Immediately afterward, she rapidly loses move speed as her Halcyon core approaches critical mass. After a few seconds, or immediately upon her barrier being breached, Alpha explodes. This explosion deals heavy crystal damage to all enemies within the explosion radius and is lethal to herself. This ability can only be activated while Infinite Reboot is available. Upgrading this ability reduces the cooldown of Infinite Reboot.

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NEW GAME MODE (BETA): BATTLE ROYALE

“Introducing Vainglory’s newest game mode: Battle Royale — designed to deliver maximum fun in minimum time! This variant on standard play has been hugely popular with the community and has been prominently featured by many Vainglory streamers using self-imposed ‘house rules.’ Now, players can enjoy this as a full, real game mode with all the bells, whistles, enhancements and Super Evil twists impossible for community members to implement themselves.

“Players are assigned a random hero from Vainglory’s entire hero roster (even if you don’t have that hero unlocked) and are limited to the lane. Recalling is prohibited and you cannot reenter the spawning platform, which means the only way to buy new items is to fight to the death! This creates an environment where the combat is plentiful and the strategies are unique, which is what makes it such a Vainglory fan favorite.

“Battle Royale has a few additional changes to make it even more frantic, fast and fun. Things like increased experience gain, more gold on kill bounties and increased energy regeneration all ensure that the games are quick and the action is non-stop.

It isn’t just about fun though, it can help improve your mechanics too! Since team fighting occurs more frequently in Battle Royale you can use it to practice things like stutter stepping, positioning and aiming skill shots. And since your hero is randomly selected from the entire roster, you’ll end up practicing far more heroes in more situations than you otherwise would. Having a blast and sharpening your techniques is a win-win, so be sure to give it a shot in this newest update!” —Super-sub (writer) ShinKaigan

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BATTLE ROYALE: RULE CHANGES

GAMEPLAY

• Average match length 7-10 mins (original game lasts 18-22 mins)
• Can’t recall
• Can’t re-enter spawn platform
• Turrets do not have barrier
• Death clocks are 10-40-50 seconds @ minute 0-8-10>
• Death clocks are not reduced by turret destruction
• Turrets have 800 less health
• Turret XP value up from 0 to 80 (for reference, a lead minion is worth 12)

HEROES

• Randomly selected from Vainglory’s entire hero roster, including Alpha!
• Start at level 4
• XP trickle 1.8 (normally 0.6)
• XP rubberbanding is disabled
• Start with 2000 gold
• Gold trickle 10 (normally 4)
• Kill bounty is 400 gold
• Energy regeneration at +35%
• When out of combat, regenerate 4% of missing health

MINIONS

• Kill bounty 2x
• XP value 2x
• Level up automatically, reaching max level @ 5 minutes
• Gain move speed every level, +0.6 by 5 minutes

PLAY PRIVATE MATCHES WHILE IN BETA

Battle Royale is brand-new, and we’re going to see how players respond before putting it fully out front. For now, find and play the game mode as a new option when you go to make a PRIVATE match.

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DRAFT MODE FOR ALL!

In Spring season, players at all skill tiers can enjoy Draft Mode in Ranked play. Ban that hero you hate to face. Devise cool draft strategies and comps. Take your Ranked play to the next level and get your highest skill tier ever in Spring. Not sure how Draft Mode works? Check out this video:

 

‘NETHERWORLD FORTRESS’ TIERS I, II & III!

All three tiers of Fortress skins will be released during Update 1.16.

FORTRESS TIER 1 LORE

The power of the Halcyon Wells originates deep underground in the boiling hot Netherworld. In a time beyond memory, the gate laid open, and those above traveled below if their need was dire. Today, what lives above survives because Fortress guards the Nether Gate.

Past Fortress, none may go.

Read the full story.

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NEW BOOSTS IN THE MARKET

Players have been asking for more options in the in-game Market. Now, you can boost your post-match Glory, out-of-game account XP and Guild Fame progress.

GLORY BOOSTER

• Increases the Glory earned from matches until expiration.

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PERMANENT GLORY BOOSTER

• One-time unlock to permanently increase the rate at which you gain Glory.

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GUILD FAME BOOSTER

• Increases the Guild Fame earned from matches until expiration.

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ACCOUNT XP BOOSTER

Coming soon.

• Increases the out-of-game account XP earned from matches until expiration. This has no impact on in-game hero level XP!

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SKILL TIER NAME CHANGES

More encouraging for new players at low tiers while preserving the iconic high tiers. RIP Decent-ish. GGWP. 

• Vainglorious
• Pinnacle of Awesome
• Simply Amazing
• The Hotness
• Credible Threat
• Got Swagger
• Worthy Foe
• Rock Solid
• Getting There
• Just Beginning

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TUTORIAL REVAMP

• New players can learn the game in bite-sized pieces with a more friendly journey through the app.

MINION MINER

Previously, the ideal play would be to wait until the Minion Miner was worth the maximum amount of gold before capturing it, which wasn’t very intuitive for newer players. The new changes encourage players to fight over the miner more frequently, while also  making it more threatening if you control both. —Super-sub (writer) ShinKaigan

• Gold bounty up from 80 to 150.
• No longer grows in bounty when neutral.
• Minions push harder when you control both Minion Mines.

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ACE BUFF

This should help players secure an objective after an ace and close out the game. —Super-sub (writer) ShinKaigan

• Ace-buffed minions move faster and deal more damage to minions.

ACTIVE ITEMS

“Our items are massive teamfight tilts, but they’re “hidden power” to people watching the matches. Their gameplay effects are powerful, but their in-game visuals are invisible, and it’s not just a great learning tool for people watching VG, it’s a great learning tool for people playing it.

“If someone fountains me in solo queue and saves my life, I want to know who made that clutch play and applaud them. I want to know when the effect happens so that I can rally and reengage in battle, and if my opponents trigger a Fountain, I want to know to fall back.

“So all three of those items were in sore need of clear correlation in terms of visuals and cause-effect relationships.” —CaptainNeato

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FOUNTAIN OF RENEWAL

A better visual correlation but with reduced heal speed increases the tension around a Fountain rescue. It will take more skill to save lives, but when you do it, it’ll be that much more clutch. —CaptainNeato

• Healing is now carried via a projectile traveling to allies. Projectile travel time does impact Fountain heal timing.

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FLARE

It’s now clear who is flaring. It also slows down the pace of how fast you and friends are running through the forest, flaring as you go. —CaptainNeato

• Now has a projectile traveling to destination. Projectile travel time does impact flare timing.

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CRUCIBLE

Despite the visual, there is no change to the split-second timing of activating this item. You can still cancel that Blast Tremor silence if you have Gabevizzle-like reflexes. The key here is making sure players and spectators alike are clear on where that clutch block came from. —PlayoffBeard

• Reflex Block is now carried via a projectile traveling to allies. Projectile travel time does not impact block timing. 

STORMGUARD

This item was able to store up to 1.3 seconds worth of damage when you first hit someone, because basic attacks have a base cooldown of 1.3 seconds. —Zekent

• Damage storage now capped at 1 second.

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BROKEN MYTH

The new Broken Myth can now reach max stacks faster but only when the player is the aggressor —Super-sub (writer) ShinKaigan

• Now only gains stacks when dealing damage to heroes, not when receiving damage from heroes.
• Stack count changed from 7 stacks of 5% to 5 stacks of 7%.

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ALTERNATING CURRENT

Making this item focus more on mages who have special properties on their basic attacks — and less about turning CP Vox into a Ringo also. —Zekent

• Attack speed up from 40% to 65%.
• Crystal power up from 50 to 60.
• Damage crystal ratio down from 115% to 70%.

ADAGIO

It was too easy to take advantage of Adagio’s powerful buffs. Some of the damage has been shifted out of simply casting Agent of Wrath on an ally in favor of comboing Adagio’s kit together. —Zekent

• Base attack speed up from 100% to 100-116%.

GIFT OF FIRE

• Energy cost up from 120-132-144-156-168 to 120-135-150-165-180.

AGENT OF WRATH

• Damage changed
  • From:
    • 25-40-55-70-115 + 85% CR
    • 50% bonus to base damage from Arcane Fire bonus (effectively 12.5-20-27.5-35-57.5 + 0% CR)
    • 20% bonus to base damage from self-cast bonus (effectively 5-8-11-14-23 + 0% CR)
  • To:
    • 20-40-60-80-120 + 50% CR damage
    • 10-20-30-40-60 + 35% CR Arcane Fire bonus
    • 5-10-15-20-30 + 20% CR self-cast bonus

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JOULE

Even with all her fancy rockets and lasers, Joule has been having a tough time on the Fold. We figured it’s about time for a tune-up! —Zekent

ROCKET LEAP

• Cooldown down from 22-21-20-19-10 to 22-20-18-16-10.

THUNDER STRIKE

• Cooldown down from 3.5-3.4-3.3-3.2-3 seconds to 3 seconds.
• Energy cost changed from 35-37-39-41-43 to 40.

BIG RED BUTTON

• Damage up from 750-1350-1950 to 800-1500-2200.
• Crystal ratio down from 520% to 460%.

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CELESTE

While Celeste does fantastically in the back line, it was far too easy for gap-closing heroes to take her down in close-quarters combat. Now, she stands more of a fighting chance.

• Base attack speed down from 100-136% to 100-125%.

JULIA’S LIGHT (HEROIC PERK)

• Crystal ratio up from 50% to 75%.

HELIOGENESIS

• Star duration-on-ground up from 7 to 8 seconds.

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PHINN

That’s a big anchor! Phinn now has more utility on Quibble while also adjusting the damage, so that roam is more appealing. — ShinKaigan

QUIBBLE

• Radius up from 2.7 to 3.0 meters.
• Crystal ratio down from 200% to 170%.
• Slow/stun duration up from 0.8 to 0.9s.

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RONA

We’re fixing two elements of Rona’s kit that didn’t work properly. They’re now ready to go so we’re putting them back in!

BERSERKERS’ FURY

INTO THE FRAY

• Into the Fray now properly grants Bloodrage upon the first impact. (Grants 20 Bloodrage per hero hit.)
• Regular Bloodrage gains from basic attacks down from 9 to 6.

FOESPLITTER

• Weapon ratio of both first and second activation up from 75% to 80%.
• Second activation damage down from 15-30-45-60-105 + 120% CR to 10-20-30-40-70 + 100% CR.
• Second cast drains all bloodrage and deals up to double damage based on % of bloodrage drained.

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FORTRESS

33% damage per basic attack x3 basic attacks ≠ 100%. 

• Fixed a bug where pack wolves sometimes survive more than 3 basic attacks.

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BLACKFEATHER

Adding more readability to Blackfeather on top of adding more ability choice diversity. —Zekent

ROSE OFFENSIVE

KESTREL

We gave her a little boost to her late game scaling, making her a more well-rounded character throughout the match. —Super-sub (writer) ShinKaigan

• Base weapon power up from 64-99 to 64-130.

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OZO

ACROBOUNCE

• Bounce damage up from 20-40-60-80-100 + 100% CR to 50-80-110-140-200 + 120% CR.
• Final damage changed from 70-105-140-174-245 + 100% CR to 50-80-110-140-200 + 120% CR.
• Additional bounce damage changed from 30-50-70-90-110 + 50% CR to 25-40-55-70-100 + 60% CR.
• Cooldown down from 14-13-12-11-10 to 13-12-11-10-8.

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BUG FIXES

• Dead heroes no longer earn XP.
• Dead heroes no longer earn Ironguard gold.
• SAW: Fixed a bug that caused a normal basic attack to fire immediately after using Roadie Run while Mad Cannon was activated.
• Joule: Fixed a bug where Joule rotates if she gets rooted.
• Reim: Fixed a bug where Reim’s damage on turrets granted fortified health as if he were hitting a hero.
• Taka: Fixed a bug where Kaku would end early if he was also basic attacking at the same time as using Kaku.
• Petal: Addressed a bug where Petal’s munions were not correctly being treated as minions.
• Ozo: Fixed an issue where Ozo did not have the standard melee hero minion defense.

• Blackfeather’s Rose Offensive
• Celeste’s Solar Storm
• Kestrel’s Glimmershot
• Krul’s From Hell’s Heart
• Phinn’s Forced Accord
• Ozo’s Bangarang
• Skaarf’s Spitfire
• Skye’s Forward Barrage
• Vox’s Wait for It …

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WHAT’S NEXT: VAINGLORY ROAMERS

Hey, this is Ciderhelm, and I’d like offer a glimpse of our two upcoming roam heroes, Lance and Ayla. Lance is a heavily armored defender with a unique sword-and-board fighting style. Ayla, on the other hand, brings powerful magic to support her allies from a distance. In addition to their primary roam roles, Lance will offer a separate warrior path while Ayla will offer a separate mage path.

As always, please understand that anything can change during development, including the details here. These two heroes are the Hero Design team’s top priorities and we’re looking forward to getting two new roamers into your hands!

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It’s a brand-new season, which brings massive improvements and changes. Check out the new hero, new game mode and so much more now … and be sure to follow along in the in-game NEWS section to track all the special Halcyon Days events! —PlayoffBeard

The Halcyon Days of Spring are here! Celebrate the turning of the seasons with two weeks of extraordinary events. …

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FOLLOW ALONG

Want to quickly and easily know what event is ‘HAPPENING NOW’ without doing time zone math? Simply follow the Halcyon Days calendar in the in-game NEWS section of the app. Live events will be gloriously obvious and will be faded out when they conclude. 

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DAY 1: DOUBLE GUILD FAME WEEK (WINTER’S END)

All matches played with guildmates will earn double Fame. And since 24 hours isn’t enough to really make a dent in those Winter end-of-season payouts, we’re leaving Double Fame on until Spring season starts!

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DAY 2: COMMUNITY EVENT

Check out how to participate in our #HalcyonDays Spring Twitter Q & A by clicking here.

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DAY 3: ALPHA HERO REVEAL STREAM

See Vainglory’s next hero played in full matches ahead of her (its?) release. While you’re waiting, read about this warrior created to hunt down Catherine, Kestrel and the rest of the Stormguard.

DAY 3: BATTLE ROYALE GAMES ON STREAM

Meet Vainglory’s new game mode, designed for maximum fun in minimal time. Tune in to the Vainglory Twitch.tv stream on Friday at 2PM PDT to witness Battle Royale games and for a chance to win ICE.

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DAY 4: FINAL TAKA CARD EVENT

When Spring season arrives, Night Shadow Taka vanishes from the in-game Market. Get your wins to earn your Taka legendary card, then unlock this limited-edition skin before it’s too late! If you’re a few cards short, use the Taka-only ICE Box in the Market. For more details on how the weekend’s Taka card events operate, read this.

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DAY 5: PARTY UP FOR GLORY

For 24 hours, get bonus Glory when you party queue:

• Earn double Glory when you duo queue
• Earn TRIPLE GLORY when you trio queue (enter queue as a full three- person party).
• Valid for Vainglory Casual and Ranked games only.

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DAY 6: ‘CRAZY 8’ CARDS EVENT

It’s back! The Community’s favorite card frenzy returns. Play to earn guaranteed cards of escalating rarity. Here’s the scoop:

Starting at 5PM PDT, your first eight wins will reward you with guaranteed cards. The more you win, the better and better the cards will get!

• Wins 1-4: Get a guaranteed Rare card.
• Wins 5-7: Get a guaranteed Epic card.
• Win 8: Get a guaranteed Legendary card!

This special card event will end at 5PM PDT the following day.

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DAY 7: UPDATE NOTES REVEAL

Spring ushers in a new update packed full of content. Before the update arrives, enjoy a chance to see every change made to the game, including all the juicy details about the newest hero, Alpha.

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DAY 8 (PART I): WINTER ICE & GLORY GUILD PAYOUTS!

Collect your guild rewards by opening the app after Update 1.16 is released, then pick up the new hero, new skins or the other surprises in the Market.

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DAY 8 (PART II): DRAFT MODE FOR ALL

In Spring season, players at all skill tiers can enjoy Draft Mode in Ranked play. Ban that hero you hate to face. Devise cool draft strategies and comps. Take your Ranked play to the next level and get your highest skill tier ever in Spring. Not sure how Draft Mode works? Check out this video:

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HALCYON DAYS 8-14

All Halcyon Days events during Update 1.16 will last a full week! Let’s jumpstart Spring season …

DOUBLE GUILD FAME WEEK (SPRING BEGINNINGS)

Halcyon Days 8-14: Start Spring season off right with Double Fame for all matches played with guildmates for a full week. Get an early start on your seasonal rewards and climb that guild ladder!

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‘PARTY FOR GLORY’ WEEK

Halcyon Days 8-14:  For seven straight days, get bonus Glory when you party queue:

• Earn double Glory when you duo queue
• Earn TRIPLE GLORY when you trio queue (enter queue as a full three- person party).
• Valid for Vainglory Casual and Ranked games only.

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EVENT TIMING

The easiest way to know what event is ‘HAPPENING NOW’ is to follow the calendar in the in-game NEWS section of the app. Live events will be gloriously obvious, and events that are done will be faded away.

All 24-hour event “days” begin at midnight GMT time. For you, that means on any given Halcyon Day, a listed 24-hour event will begin at 5PM PDT and run until 5PM PDT the following day.

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Play every day during the Halcyon Days spring celebration and enjoy all the rewards and reveals! 

The power of the Halcyon Wells originates deep underground in the boiling dark Netherworld. What lives aboveground survives because Fortress guards the Nether Gate.

Past Fortress, none may go.

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‘NETHERWORLD FORTRESS’ ART

Save up your ICE, Glory, Essence and cards! All three tiers of the Netherworld Fortress skin set will be available during Update 1.16. 

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NETHERWORLD FORTRESS LORE

“Explorer, he’s called,” grumbled one worker on the high scaffold, sweating down the M-shape of his balding forehead. He pointed his hand axe over his opposite shoulder. “All he’s done today is sit in the shade.”

“And pay,” said the other, dusting wood dust away from the split they’d created near the top of the tree, just above the symbols that had been carved into it since a time before memory.

“This tree is cursed,” said the first.

“Nonsense!” The Explorer emerged from the open tent and climbed the scaffold. His fingers traced the letters carved into the stone around the lock. “It is ever true: The life above and the death below are one, and made by the other.”

“Sounds like a curse to… ahh!” cried the first as his axe broke through to the hollow center of the tree. A thick breath of hot air escaped upward.

“It is the Nether Gate of legend!” cried the Explorer. In horror, the workers watched as he climbed inside the tree.

“Don’t go, sir!” wailed the second worker, wringing his hands. “What if there are monsters beneath?”

“There are no such things as monsters,” echoed the Explorer’s voice as he lowered himself into the tree. “Only beasts of the Netherworld!”

The Explorer lost his grip and fell, tumbling, for far longer than the tree was tall. In that void he could not tell down from up, nor whether he had landed. In the distance was a whisper of firelight that, rather than illuminating, made the darkness even more so. The darkness pressed into him; he tasted and breathed the darkness until he thought he would choke. A longing loneliness bade him cry for lover or mother.

The blazing light grew and morphed into the shape of a beast. At first, it was a mass of spitting and burning rage, incomprehensible, a terror that scorched the Explorer’s throat. As it drew close, it formed into an enormous, volcanic, burning dire wolf.

“Name yourself, trespasser,” said the wolf.

“I am Walker of the Cartographers. And you… you are Fortress, the Guardian of the Nether Well.”

“What you know, and what you think you know, are leagues apart.” The churning volcanic fire solidified into armor, and the beast growled.

“I have come to see the well,” said the Explorer, drawing up his confidence though his teeth chattered.

“As you wish,” said the wolf, and the blackness echoed with the sounds of howling. “Only those who defeat me may glimpse the Nether Well. Draw your weapons, Walker.” From the wolf’s shoulders, two more vicious heads sprouted into being, growling and snapping, and the rest of the ignited pack emerged from the darkness.

The Explorer turned and ran, ran in no direction, swallowed into the void, begging forgiveness with pathetic sobs. The wolf’s deep laughter echoed from all around him until he woke, gasping for breath, at the base of the sacred tree.

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INTERVIEW WITH SUPER EVIL ARTIST NOXII

My first concept for Netherworld Fortress was a war dog. He’s a guardian of the underworld like Anubis, a protector of souls. He keeps people from getting in and out. He nurtures those souls so they can rest peacefully without being used for necromancy, or being sucked into an object for magicians. I like to think that he and Adagio are a part of the same world.

I concepted a black dog, but made of cracking lava. For tier two, I gave him an armored muzzle and silver gauntlets with a gemstone that I imagined was imbued with energy. For tier three, I gave him the silhouette of the fans on the sides of his head; this came from the idea of Anubis and Cerberus and Egyptian sculpture. I wanted him to have the pharaoh beard. The extra heads are very vicious Boston Terriers! It was hard to find vicious looking Boston Terrier reference material because they’re so darn cute!

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READ MORE FORTRESS LORE

A Story For Everything
The Destruction of the Temple
The Great Oak
Rona vs. Skvader
North Is Always Forward

GFINITY Arena, London — Despite roster changes and a player departure, SK Gaming’s Prometheus squad found a way to win the second seasonal qualifier and secure the top seed in the Europe Winter Championships. But to take the next step and secure the winter trophy, they’ll need to knock off dominant Autumn champions Team Secret and many others. Watch the eight best Vainglory teams in Europe battle it out during three days of fierce weekend action.

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(1) SK PROMETHEUS VS (8) ANGRY PANDAS BLACK

SK PROMETHEUS

Players: WalDeMar (lane), jetpacks (jungle), Raph29 (roam)

MECHANICS
SYNERGY
DRAFTING
OBJECTIVES

Over the course of the second Winter Qualifier, SK Prometheus was playing phenomenally, with rising star L3oN at the helm. Things suddenly changed before the Semifinals, as L3oN and SK parted ways and longtime Prometheus player Raph29 returned to the starting lineup. Without L3oN, many naysayers expected Prometheus to be decisively beaten by Team Secret in the semis. But Raph29 stepped in and stepped up, playing superbly throughout the Semifinals and Finals as SK Prometheus secured the qualifier title and top seed at the Winter Live Championships.

Now with their roster set in stone and plenty of time to prepare, Prometheus enters this championship tournament more dangerous than ever. Updates 1.14 and 1.15 have perfectly suited SK’s play and hero picks, and their incredible play on heroes such as Skaarf and Krul have given opponents fits when trying to figure out who to ban and what’s most important to take away. Most importantly, when jetpacks or WalDeMar has been forced off a comfort pick, Prometheus has consistently had strong comps prepared for those specific eventualities, leading to even stronger performances. Be sure to keep a close eye on jetpacks in jungle, as his power spikes in Prometheus’ late-game playstyle will be paramount to SK’s success.

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ANGRY PANDAS BLACK

Players: LeyaLeya (lane), TonyLuo (jungle), XuanXuan (roam), HCYekun (sub), LittleDroplet (sub)

MECHANICS
SYNERGY
DRAFTING
OBJECTIVES

Hometown team AngryPandas is back again for this season’s Winter Live Championships — and their play is just as fascinating and unorthodox as ever. Pandas have a very aggressive approach, fully utilizing damage items across the board. They dance on the edge of disaster with risky plays and maneuvers that may or may not pay off, but that’s half the fun! If Pandas can outdraft Prometheus, they stand a good chance of following in Team Secret’s footsteps and scoring a Live Championships Day 1 upset out of the 8th seed. XuanXuan will be the player holding their fate as they double down on the roamer and hope his contributions can lead them to victory.

Looking at these two teams is very much like describing night and day. SK brings a very controlled style of play, heavily favoring the mid-to-late game. Pandas is the total opposite, looking to race off the platform and try to snowball as quickly as possible. The match between these two will come down to how well jetpacks does holding off jungle pressure as SK waits for their power spikes to kick in.

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(2) TEAM SECRET VS (7) G2.KINGUIN 2

TEAM SECRET

Players: KValafar (lane), Palmatoro (jungle), Mowglie (roam)

MECHANICS
SYNERGY
DRAFTING
OBJECTIVES

Team Secret has sat at the top since last season’s Live Championships, where they put the SAW push comp on display for all. But one season later, every other major competitive team has a push-comp game plan, and the onus is on Team Secret to bring more to the table. This might prove to be a positive for Team Secret, as this roster has way more in its arsenal, with many well-executed compositions that put KValafar and Palmatoro’s true talent on display.

Looking at this team, it is very hard to single out a player because of how well they play as a unit. Instead, look out for the hidden hero compositions they have up their sleeves this time around.

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G2.KINGUIN 2

Players: TaisukeSan (lane), majestiC (jungle), Pips (roam), , Zynthox (Sub)

MECHANICS
SYNERGY
DRAFTING
OBJECTIVES

G2.Kinguin 2 has one of those rosters that can be very surprising, where opponents don’t feel the fear until it is too late. The team is lead by seasoned veteran TaisukeSan, with rising stars Pips and majestiC making their first appearance at the Live Championships. G2.Kinguin 2 will really have to come off the platform swinging. Looking at their playstyles and hero pool, it is safe to say that these players are destined for mechanical stardom, but as they go toe to toe with Europe’s most dominant team, G2 will need to find inner strength and determination to pull through. As long as they focus on playing as a team and minimizing individual mistakes, they have a great chance to pull off the upset. TaisukeSan in lane will be the key player, making all the major play calls. It will be interesting to see if they can play as a group while still getting standout individual performances. If so, everything will fall into place for this promising team.

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(3) G2.KINGUIN VS (6) REBIRTH OF EMPIRE

G2.KINGUIN

Players: Reddix (lane), DarkPotato (jungle), D1ngo (roam), Tesfaye (sub), TetnoJJ (sub)

MECHANICS
SYNERGY
DRAFTING
OBJECTIVES

The original dominant G2.Kinguin roster is finally back in place for the Winter Championships, and they have their eye on the ultimate prize.. After their debut under the G2 banner, this team quickly dominated Europe’s competitive scene. But they became the victims of their own success, splitting their roster to partake in multiple simultaneous tournament opportunities. This team’s chemistry is a big key to their success, and it was well worth reuniting them for Winter season. We expect incredible play and teamwork from the starting trio, but should anyone struggle, both Tesfaye and TetnoJJ have been major players in Vainglory’s eSports scene for quite some time, and their experience will be an asset to G2 in and out of the lineup.

G2.Kinguin is known for it’s near-perfect hero pool depth, giving them immense draft flexibility. DarkPotato has always brought big games when it mattered most, and on top of that, he’s improving with every tournament and becoming more consistent. Reddix and DarkPotato feed off each other and have a sixth sense with rotations, while DarkPotato and D1ngo are as close as can be. That virtuous circle suggests big things for G2.Kinguin in this tournament.

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REBIRTH OF EMPIRE

Players: MrKool (lane/jungle), GreatkhAli (jungle/lane), nettetoilette (roam), UpFyr (lane/sub)

MECHANICS
SYNERGY
DRAFTING
OBJECTIVES

Rebirth of Empire is no newcomer to competitive play, and breaking down their approach is quite fascinating. Indeed they are very transparent and many times opponents are able to figure out their comp and execution. But why do they always come out on top? They have an uncanny ability to pick and choose which fights to take, along with their efficient approach capitalizing off enemy mistakes, which has consistently been a winning formula. UpFyr has been standing out in recent qualifiers with quick calls and leading team-wide rotations. And with the current meta playing to their strengths, they have a great chance of outdrafting their opponents.

If this match had a theme, it would be “Mirror Match.” Both teams have very similar preferred hero compositions and are very mid-to-late game oriented. We’ll see who gets the comps they want in the draft!

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(4) SNOW TSUNAMI VS (5) SNOW AVALANCHE

SNOW TSUNAMI

Players: PTLam (lane), lookatme (jungle), Sosiska (roam), ColdICE (sub)

MECHANICS
SYNERGY
DRAFTING
OBJECTIVES

This SNOW Tsunami team has it all. The only question is whether they can reach their full potential at the Winter Championships. More than capable in every department, all they really need to do is not overthink things and just play to their game plan. We can expect to see off-meta comps from this squad, as they’re able to see the draft in a different way and create unexpected advantages. This time around, we have to keep a close eye on Sosiska, who is bound to step up and take the lead.

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SNOW AVALANCHE

Players: Bashn (Roam), Kentysik (Jungle), araxi (Lane), SNOWFlake (Sub), ColdICE (Sub)

MECHANICS
SYNERGY
DRAFTING
OBJECTIVES

SNOW got an unlucky break, having their sister teams battle on Day 1. Fortunately, the Group Stage is double elimination, so this series will not be fatal for either squad. Avalanche, before considered perhaps the weaker of the two teams, has made remarkable strides, growing as individuals and as a team. They have learned from loses and diversified their approach, and they’re now playing new comps, new styles and bring a new mindset.

In order to defeat Tsunami, this Avalanche squad will need to be on their toes and play with confidence. Update 1.15 has been quite favorable to Kentysik and should he be able to land a comfort pick, he will without a doubt make opponents suffer.

Tsunami will come into this matchup knowing how Avalanche wants to play, with a mastery of compositions to handle them. However, Avalanche won’t back down and will try to use their knowledge of their opponent to their advantage as well. We can predict that the early game will go to Tsunami, but if they can’t snowball early, they better watch out for an Avalanche in the late game.

Watch all the action at twitch.tv/vainglory, and follow all the matchups and find replays in the in-game eSports tab within the NEWS section of the app.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

No team will have an easy path to the title, and if the North America Winter Championships are any indication, this is sure to be the biggest, most exciting European Vainglory tournament ever.

Watch all the action at twitch.tv/vainglory, and follow all the matchups and find replays in the in-game eSports tab within the NEWS section of the app.

Super Evil Megacorp’s Vainglory has attracted one of the top eSports organizations, Team SoloMid (TSM), as it continues to gain momentum as the world’s leading touchscreen eSport. TSM, known for having appeared in the League of Legends World Championship every year since its inception in 2011, has jumped into Vainglory with the acquisition of Alliance, reigning world champion and the No.1 seed for the upcoming North America Winter Live Championship. Vainglory was recently crowned the “Best Mobile Game” by the GSMA and Gamelab Mobile during the 2016 GLOMO Awards at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and is currently the fastest growing mobile game on Twitch, with 150 million minutes watched in 2015.

“As a global leader in eSports, we are always looking to expand our reach and attract new fans,” said Andy “Reginald” Dinh, CEO of TSM. “The mobile games community has grown extraordinarily quickly in the past few years, and Vainglory has exploded onto the eSports circuit over the past six months; it will be exciting to see it reach its huge growth potential given the amount of devices on the market.”

The acquisition of Alliance by TSM, who finished second in the 2015 North American League Championship Series (LCS) Summer Playoffs, is the latest a series of recent eSports team acquisitions in the Vainglory competitive scene, including Team Secret, G2 eSports and SK Gaming. The Vainglory eSports scene also includes hundreds of original teams, including home-growth professional teams paying players under contract such as GankStars, Halcyon Hammers and Phoenix eSports.

“We’re thrilled that Vainglory eSports has grown so quickly and that less than a year from our first tournaments, we have such rapidly growing viewer numbers and that so many professional organizations and partners are involved,” said Kristian Segerstrale, COO and Executive Director, Super Evil Megacorp. “Some day someone will create a competitive game on touch screens that will attract audiences that are 3-5x larger than the biggest PC games today. We’re excited to be working with the amazing Vainglory community to be part of that evolution.”

TSM’s Vainglory team is made up of Nick “CullTheMeek” Verolla (jungle/lane), Mico “MICSHE” Dedicatoria (lane/jungle) and Michael ‘FlashX’ Valore (roam). FlashX and MICSHE started their competitive careers as Alliance in the ESL Vainglory Cup Series in May 2015. Together, they won the Autumn North American VGL Qualifier last year, making it to the VIPL (Vainglory International Premier League) Season 2 in Korea last October, where they won in dramatic fashion. CullTheMeek was recruited from the first world champion team GankStars Sirius. This roster will now be competing as a part of the TSM family, and it recently won the North American VGL Winter Qualifiers #2 (defeating GankStars Sirius), earning the No. 1 seed at the Vainglory Winter Live Championships.

“This opportunity, simply put, is a dream come true,” said Valore. “I have always been a passionate gamer, and TSM is the pinnacle of eSports in North America. As a kid, my parents always told me to find a job doing what I love, and thanks to TSM, I have been given that opportunity. Our team has always strived for success and now we have the supportive structure we need in order to achieve greatness. I am incredibly grateful for this chance and I know that we will not let TSM down.”

Following 2015 in which Vainglory players took home more than $350,000 in prize money globally, 2016 is already promising to be bigger and more intense. The Vainglory Winter Live Championships for North America will take place at a sold-out Red Bull eSports Studio in Santa Monica, Calif., from March 11-13 and the Europe Winter Live Championships will take place at the Gfinity Arena in London from March 18-20. NVIDIA and Amazon Coins will return as sponsors for both the North America and Europe events. While NA is sold out, the few remaining tickets for the Europe event can be purchased at http://vainglorywintereu.eventbrite.com.

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Check out the preview of all Day 1 matches, including TSM’s match against the 8th-seeded Rage Pingers.

For the first time ever, you can collect cards to unlock a limited-edition skin! Night Shadow Taka has a completely new effects suite featuring molten metal blades.

WHAT’S NEW:

• Gythian steel armor
• Technologist machinery
• Blazing blades
• Disappears under an automaton
• Flashy molten metal spark effects
• New ability animations

HOW IT WORKS:

• Unlock this limited-time skin with ICE or by collecting 16 “Night Shadow Taka” legendary cards.
• Taka card events will accelerate you toward the 16 legendaries you need. These card events will be similar to “Crazy 8” card events, except that after your third win of the day, you are guaranteed to get a Night Shadow Taka card.
• A special card box in the Market will only contain Night Shadow Taka legendary cards to help you complete your collection.
• You may destroy unwanted cards and use the Essence to craft the Night Shadow Taka cards you need.
• This special legendary card may drop randomly after completing matches, if you’re lucky!

WHEN CAN I GET IT?

The Night Shadow Taka skin is available today and can be unlocked with ICE or by weaving it with cards.

Guaranteed card drops will start at 4PM PST | 12AM GMT on March 4 and run for 24 hours or for your first three wins. These wins will trigger the following rewards:

• First win = guaranteed rare card
• Second win = guaranteed epic card
• Third win = guaranteed “Night Shadow Taka” card

Night Shadow Taka is available in the Market now. This is the first limited-edition skin to be attainable via card unlocks, but won’t be available forever, so unlock your Night Shadow Taka now!

VAINGLORY NA AND EU WINTER CHAMPIONSHIPS IN MARCH!

The time for Vainglory Winter Championships is here. Expect the month of March to be filled with Vainglory esports! The Winter Season will end with a bang at two live events: Santa Monica (March 11-13) and London (March 18-20). Each event will feature three days of awesome matches between the top eight teams of each region. During both three-day events, these teams will compete for a total prize pool of 25,000USD (per event) and the Winter Season Championship title. North American and European participating teams are seeded by two VGL Qualifiers during the Winter Season. More than 700 competitive teams applied for the first Qualifier in January with the Top 64 teams in each region entering the tournament bracket. Which team will take the Winter Championship crown?

March 11-13: North American Championships at the Red Bull esports Studio
The North American event takes place at the Red Bull esports studio in Santa Monica, from March 11 to March 13. The event will be livestreamed on  twitch.tv/vainglory. Make sure you tune in! Three teams have already qualified for the Championships: GankStars Sirius, Alliance and Nemesis Hydra – read more details here.

Get your tickets here for the North American Winter Championships in Santa Monica, CA:

NA Winter Championship Schedule:

FRIDAY, March 11:

• 4:30 PM (local time): Doors open
• 5-10 PM Group Stage (LIVE Double Elimination)

SATURDAY, March 12:

• 12 PM (local time): Doors open
• 1 PM – 10 PM LIVE Group Stage (Double Elimination)

SUNDAY, March 13:

• 12 PM (local time) Doors Open
• 1 PM – 8 PM LIVE Group Stage
  • Semifinals
  • Grand Finals!
• Official Vainglory Party

March 18-20: European Championships at the Gfinity Arena in London
The European event takes place at the Gfinity Arena in London, from March 18 to March 20. The event will be livestreamed on twitch.tv/vainglory. Make sure you tune in! Three teams have already qualified for the Championships: Team Secret, Snow Tsunami, and RebelTiger – read more details here.

Get your tickets here for the European Winter Championships in London, UK:

EU Winter Championship Schedule:

FRIDAY, March 18:

• 16:30 (local time): Doors open
• 17:00 – 22:00 LIVE Group Stage (Double Elimination)

SATURDAY, March 19:

• 12:00 (local time): Doors open
• 13:00 – 22:00 LIVE Group Stage (Double Elimination)

SUNDAY, March 20:

• 12:00 (local time) Doors Open
• 13:00 – 22:00 LIVE Group Stage
  • Semifinals
  • Grand Finals!
• Official Vainglory Party

We are looking forward to all of the competitive eSports events this March and can’t wait to meet our players and fans! Tickets are expected to sell out quickly for each venue, so grab them while they’re hot! See you at the Vainglory Winter Championships!

If you were there for our first ever Vainglory Autumn Season LIVE Championships you’ll remember some of these incredible moments that our teams, fans and developers were a huge part of—a big thank you, once again, to our awesome community for its success!

Remember to share that you’re attending the 2016 Vainglory Winter Championships on social media with #vainglorylive!

Each week six heroes are temporarily unlocked for play in Casual and Private games. Try any of the heroes listed below before unlocking them with Glory or ICE!

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ADAGIO (ROAM/PROTECTOR)

• Hero info & lore
• VaingloryFire guides

The master manipulator of large-scale battles, Adagio brings incredible teamfight presence with huge area-of-effect damage and team-saving abilities. He almost seems too good: He can heal. He can amplify damage. He can stun and nuke the entire enemy team … but none of these can be achieved easily without team-wide coordination. Adagio is extremely flexible and can start as laner, jungler or roamer.

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ARDAN (ROAM/PROTECTOR)

• Hero info & lore
• VaingloryFire guides

Ardan is a damage-soaking protector who dramatically changes the landscape of teamfights. Able to rescue friends from certain death and turn lost battles around with his powerful terrain-changing ultimate, Ardan brings immense utility to the team. Start Ardan in either the lane or jungle, depending on which ally you want to protect most.

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VOX (LANE/SNIPER)

• Hero info & lore
• VaingloryFire guides

Vox is a mobile sniper with a high-energy playstyle, able to quickly and frequently dash around the battlefield. Vox deals significant damage either to a single target or to groups of enemies depending on his build. This flexibility allows Vox to react according to the needs of his team.

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KESTREL (JUNGLE/SNIPER)

• Hero info & lore
• VaingloryFire guides

Kestrel is an elite Stormguard archer who takes down targets from a distance. When building weapon, she deals rapid, sustained damage and uses stealth to find better footing when enemies get too close. Kestrel’s crystal path affords longer stealth times, which sets up aggressive tactical plays. She’s best in the jungle where there are fewer obstructions between her deadly arrows and her targetted prey.

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SKYE (LANE/SNIPER)

• Hero info & lore
• VaingloryFire guides

Skye is a swift sniper able to dance at the edge of fights or dive deep into the enemy backline to kill key targets. Skye’s unique strafing attacks change the complexion of fights, and her ability to chase down and catch opponents is unparalleled. Start Skye in the lane, mow down minions and build weapon or crystal depending on your playstyle.

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JOULE (JUNGLE/WARRIOR)

• Hero info & lore
• VaingloryFire guides

Joule is a hardened front-line fighter with built-in defensive plating. All of Joule’s abilities require proper aim to hit the intended target, but they have a devastating effect if you can aim properly. Pick Joule if you have an uncanny ability to predict enemy player movements. Joule can start in the jungle or lane.

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ABOUT THE FREE HERO ROTATION

The free hero rotation unlocks six heroes each week to play as long and as much as you want in the Casual queue. It’s an opportunity to test drive heroes before using ICE or Glory to unlock them.

The free rotation changes every Tuesday and heroes in the rotation usually won’t return for a few weeks or months afterward, so unlocking heroes is always worthwhile. The free rotation does not apply to Ranked play to ensure players are already very familiar with the heroes they play in that try-hard environment with skill tiers at stake.

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Jump into the Fold now with this group of great heroes!