Riot Games is all about raising the bar for their MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) League of Legends. Just when things begin to get stale, the game developer brings something fresh and exciting to the Summoner’s Rift in order to shake things up and keep their free-to-play audience coming back. Their most recent gift to the masses comes in the form of a dual champion release for the game, which we have not seen since 2010. The new champions named Rakan the Charmer and Xayah the Rebel are lovers from the new region of Vastaya.

Riot Games has created the feathery duo to be a natural pair in the bottom lane of the 5v5 arena Summoner’s Rift with Rakan being the Support and Xayah taking up the mantle of ADC (Attack Damage Carry). This mixture of both a thematic and gameplay pairing has never been seen before in League of Legends. The closest Riot Games has ever come to this was when they released both Draven and Darius, back in 2010. That said, while the two may be brothers, their roles within the game were different. Meanwhile, the new lovers from Vastaya have kits that emphasize that they are better as a duo, rather than either of them getting paired with a different champion.  Let’s take a look at both of their abilities to see what they each bring to the Summoner’s Rift.

Rakan, The Charmer

Passive – Fey Feathers

Rakan’s coat occasionally generates a shield, even in combat. Rakan can reduce this ability’s cooldown by attacking an enemy champion.

Q – Gleaming Quill

Rakan slings an enchanted feather forward. If it connects with an enemy champ or epic monster, it deals damage and Rakan’s cloak surges with magic. After a brief moment a heal triggers in the area around Rakan. The heal activates immediately if Rakan touches an ally.

W – Grand Entrance

Rakan leaps forward, landing (stylishly) at his destination. He then pauses for dramatic effect before launching into the air and knocking up nearby opponents.

E – Battle Dance

Rakan leaps to an ally’s side, shielding them from harm. He can cast Battle Dance again for a few seconds after, even on the same target. If Xayah’s the target, Rakan rushes to her aid from an increased distance.

R – The Quickness

Rakan breaks into a sprint, enchanting his coat and captivating his audience. While The Quickness is active, Rakan charms and damages all enemies he touches (works once per champ). The first champ he touches grants him a huge burst of movement speed.

Xayah, The Rebel

Passive – Clean Cuts

After casting an ability, Xayah’s next few basic attacks will pierce through all enemies in their path (dealing reduced damage to all targets after the first). They’ll also leave a feather where they land. Feathers remain on the field for a moderate length of time.

Q – Double Daggers

Xayah throws two blades in a line, damaging all enemies hit. The blades leave a feather where they land.

W – Deadly Plumage

Xayah conjures a storm of feather blades that increase the strength and speed of her next few basic attacks. If Xayah attacks an enemy champion while empowered by Deadly Plumage, she’ll gain a short burst of movement speed.

If Rakan is nearby when Xayah activates Deadly Plumage, he’ll also gain the ability’s effects.

E – Bladecaller

Xayah recalls all feathers, which deal damage to any enemies they strike on the way back to Xayah. If a target is struck by several feathers at once, they’ll be briefly rooted.

R – Featherstorm

Xayah leaps into the air, becoming briefly untargetable. After a short delay, she hurls a storm of blades in a cone, each of which deals damage to struck enemies and leaves a feather upon landing. Xayah may continue to move while airborne.

Riot has also created a special recall animation for the two lovebirds.  If one of the new champions begins their recall animation, the other can join in at any time to hitch a ride through the other’s recall.  Between the special recall animation and the synergy Riot has given to the two Vastayan champions, this has the potential to add more champion-specific interactions down the line, which will affect both Pro-play and otherwise.

So, thoughts on the two new champions? Which one looks more fun to play? Sound off in the comments section below, and as always, stay tuned to DFTG for all the latest gaming and entertainment news!  Don’t forget to follow DFTG on Twitter for the 24/7 live news feed!

League of Legends is currently available free-to-play on PC.