League of Legends is about to head into 2025 when its first season launches on January 9th. As part of this, a new trailer has confirmed the release of a previously rumored champion and reworks for two of the game’s most famous OG champions.

The first season of 2025 focuses on the great empire of Noxus, home to some of the game’s most famous champions, including Katarina, Elise and Darius (all of whom are featured in the trailer).

The increasing integration between the League of Legends game and the hugely popular Arcane series shows no signs of slowing down. In addition to Fortiche’s instantly recognizable art style, the latest addition to the champion pool will be more than familiar to those who have seen the show.

Mel Medarda makes her League of Legends debut

Riot Games

As multiple leaks confirmed late last year, Mel Medarda is the latest champion to be added to League of Legends’ ever-growing roster. Without going too far into spoiler territory, Mel returns to Noxus after the shocking events at the end of Arcane’s story arc.

Exactly how she will play is still unclear, but the leaks above gave a possible glimpse, and it’s safe to assume she’ll resort to mystery like in the series.

Vladimir and LeBlanc finally get visual makeovers

Riot Games/Dexerto

Vladimir and LeBlanc are finally getting visual overhauls that bring them closer to parity with the newer champions. Both characters have been in the game since the second half of 2010 and had already begun to show their relative age, although Vlad’s near-immortality didn’t last long.

Details about how far these revisions will go are unclear, with more information almost certainly coming in the developer blog on January 8th. Vladimir has had a small rework in the past and LeBlanc’s kit has undergone significant tweaks several times over the years.

Riot could give these two champions the Viktor treatment, boosting their skills a bit to make them feel fresh but keeping most of their core gear intact.

The new season will significantly change the current meta. So be sure to check out our rankings to find the best champions in each position. We also have a breakdown of the best champions in jungle, top lane and ADC if you’re looking for something specific to your role.