Everything we know about LoL’s Hwei: Ability rundown, release date & more

Hwei’s been fully unveiled at Worlds 2023, though the specifics of his abilities weren’t detailed on the broadcast. However, we’ve got the full rundown of what all 10 of his abilities do as well as when you can expect him to release. Here’s everything we know about LoL’s latest champion.

League of Legends has been on a consistent path of releasing new champions in 2023. Though their releases don’t have a fraction of the frequency they had in League’s early days, champion releases are an event.

Considering Riot’s goal of releasing four new champions in 2023, Hwei will be the last one now that we’ve had Milio, Briar, and Naafiri come out.

What do we know about Hwei, League of Legends’ next champion and quite possibly the final release of 2023?

Does Hwei have a release date?

At the moment, Hwei doesn’t have a release date. While it’s most likely that he’ll come out before 2024, there’s a chance that he could be delayed into next year. At this point it’s hard to say.

There’s precedent for releases being delayed in the past, whether it be elements out of Riot’s control or unexpected hiccups in development. Skarner’s rework is a good example of this, though players have finally been given an update on how development’s going with that.

Hwei’s official announcement came along with this dev update outlining what he’s going to do in a general sense, as well as teasers for an upcoming monster champion and a Vastayan solo laner.

What do Hwei’s abilities do in League of Legends?

However, Hwei looks to go back to some of League’s more ambitious kit designs with a kit that makes Hwei a “high-complexity champion” according to the initial dev blog about him. And, now that we have the full scope of his abilities, he’s certainly got a lot going on.

There’sa general theme of Hwei exploring three different subjects when it comes to his art, giving him three different stances for a total of 10 abilities. Here’s the rundown:

Passive: Signature of the Visionary

• Hwei’s damaging abilities against enemy champions mark them.
• Hitting marked enemies with another damaging ability creates an explosion, detonating after a short delay and dealing magic damage to all enemies in range.

Subject: Disaster

This stance is focused solely on dealing damage, though it’s got a bit of CC here and there. Here are his three abilities within the stance.

• QQ: Devastating Fire
  • Hwei paints a blazing fireball that flies out in the target direction. It explodes on the first enemy hit or at max range, dealing magic damage plus percent max health magic damage to all enemies in an area.
• QW: Severing Bolt
  • Hwei paints a long-range, devastating bolt at the target location. After a delay, the bolt strikes, dealing magic damage
• QE: Molten Fissure
  • Hwei paints a field of exploding volcanic eruptions, creating lingering lava in its path.
  • Every eruption deals magic damage to enemies hit. Enemies in the lava area are dealt magic damage per second and are slowed.

Subject: Serenity

This stance has a focus on utility, allowing Hwei to support his teammates and take on more of an enchanter-esque role.

• WQ: Fleeting Current
  • Hwei paints a current of swift waters in a line for a few seconds that grants movement speed to himself and allies.
• WW: Pool of Reflection
  • Hwei forms a protective pool at a target location that lasts for a few seconds.
  • Allied champions inside the area gain a shield, increasing in value over a few seconds while in the area.
• WE: Stirring Lights
  • Hwei paints three swirling lights that circle him for several seconds.
  • Hwei’s next 3 attacks or spells deal bonus magic damage and grant mana on hit.

Subject: Torment

This stance is all about big CC and controlling fights. With a fear, a root, and a pull, he has a ton of displacement tools within this stance.

• EQ: Grim Visage
  • Hwei launches a terrifying face that strikes the first enemy hit, dealing magic damage and causing them to flee for a brief duration.
• EW: Gaze of the Abyss
  • Hwei paints an abyssal eye at a target location that grants vision and locks onto the nearest visible enemy champion.
  • After a short delay, the eye fires at the locked-on champion, rooting the first enemy in its path for a few seconds and dealing magic damage to them.
• EE: Crushing Maw
  • Hwei paints crushing jaws that deal magic damage to enemies hit and pulls them toward the center, slowing them by a set amount that quickly decays.

Ultimate: Spiraling Despair

• Hwei launches a vision of pure despair that sticks to an enemy champion for a few seconds. The vision expands and overwhelms all enemies it touches, dealing magic damage every second.
• Enemies within the zone are afflicted with stacks of Despair over time. Each stack of Despair applies a stacking slow. Upon completion, the vision shatters, dealing magic damage.

Hwei’s damage numbers have yet to be locked in, but that’s what you can expect his abilities to do. Bear in mind that each stance can be cancelled by hitting R, and that his ultimate can only be cast when he’s not already in a stance.

That’s everything we know about Hwei for now, but we’ll be sure to update as more information comes to light.