After years of anticipation, Skarner’s VGU is finally on the horizon in League of Legends and details of his rework have been unveiled.
It’s been a rough few weeks for League of Legends fans with junglers being ruined by bugs and fans being left heartbroken over their teams being eliminated from Worlds. There’s some good on the horizon though, and not just a new game mode.
In a Visual and Gameplay Update poll released two years ago, fans decided that the Crystal Vanguard was in need of a rework as he topped the list with 33% of the vote. Skarner has had one of the lowest pick rates in League of Legends and his character design was often criticized for being visually unappealing.
However, the upcoming rework should change how players see the strongest Brackern and reshape his place inside the rift, potentially making him a popular pick. Here are all the details on the reworked spells and release date of Skarner’s VGU.
Skarner’s VGU reshapes his appearance, lore, and abilities
Skarner is one of the oldest top lane champions and he’s set to undergo a rework that the League of Legends fandom has been eagerly anticipating for quite some time. The official reveal has yet to come, but the developers have provided some glimpses of the changes to his lore, appearance, and abilities.
Skarner is getting a fresh and slightly more intimidating look and a new set of abilities as seen in a dev blog post.
One of the most noticeable changes is the absence of crystals which had been woven into his whole identity as a “crystalline scorpion.” In March, Riot Games mentioned that it is aiming to retain the essence of his character while moving away from the crystal theme that has aged with players. From this, it is likely that the lore surrounding Hextech Crystals, Piltover, Zaun, and champions such as Camille and Seraphine will be altered to align with his VGU.

With the crystal theme removed, it is also expected that the crystal spires that appear on several areas across Summoner’s Rift and Howling Abyss when Skarner’s around will be removed.
Following this change, Skarner is also being transferred from Shurima to Ixtal. With the region’s deep connection to elemental magic, this should serve as a perfect home for the Bracken. In the new lore, Brackens are the first earth elementalists, who taught the first Ixtali people how to harness the element. This change has become evident in Skarner’s new ability which allows him to hurl boulders at opponents.
What are Skarner’s new abilities?
Skarner
Although Riot developers have chosen to keep the full details of Skarner’s abilities under wraps, they have provided players a sneak peek of what players can expect from the upcoming Visual and Gameplay Update (VGU). Being an earth elementalist, his abilities have interactions with the terrain.
Skarner’s first ability enables him to tear a piece of terrain which empowers his autoattacks. He can recast this ability to hurl the torn terrain at his opponents, dealing damage and slowing them down. On the other hand, his W is a slam ability that will likely deal damage in a way similar to Malphite.
Skarner’s E ability in the VGU will grant movement speed and the ability to run through obstacles. If he encounters an enemy, he can grab them and deliver a stun by pushing them into a wall.
Details on Skarner’s ultimate haven’t been revealed but it was revealed previously that Impale will become an AOE skillshot ability. This change appears to enhance Skarner’s ability to suppress multiple opponents, particularly effective when followed up by a strong AOE ability.
When will Skarner’s VGU be released?
Skarner’s Visual and Gameplay Update is expected to arrive in early 2024. No exact release date has been given
The new Skarner is still a work in progress, meaning players will have to wait longer to be able to try his new abilities. This should give the VGU Team for Skarner time to carefully revamp the champion and have him ready for the upcoming 2024 season.