League of Legends is getting a new tank top laner in Season 12 — K’Sante. Riot has shared all the details on the Pride of Nazumah, who is set to shake up the meta with a high-skill twist. Here’s what we know about Champion 163, including their abilities and release date.
Riot is broadening the horizons of League of Legends’ champion roster in Season 12. First, there was Zeri, an ability-centric (kind of) AD carry, followed by the controlling Renata Glasc, putting a spin on the enchanter support role.
With carries also getting a lot of attention with Bel’Veth and Nilah’s release, it’s only fair that tanks get some love. Riot are doing just that with K’Sante, the Pride of Nazumah — the hero behind the recently-revealed Shurima area.
Here’s what we know about League of Legends’ K’Sante, the Pride of Nazumah, including their abilities and release date.
Who is K’Sante in League of Legends?
K’Sante is the Pride of Nazumah in League of Legends, hailing from an unexplored region of Shurima that players will soon be invited into.
“Nazumah is an oasis citystate in the southern outskirts of the desert,” Ryan ‘Reav3’ Mireles told players in an August 2022 video. “Unlike the rest of Shurima, they don’t bow to Azir.
“Situated on one of the only water sources for miles, the people of Nazumah had to compete with giant monsters just trying to stay hydrated. It was a hard-fought struggle, but they eventually claimed the oasis as their own and built their society around it.
“Now, 500 years later, this new champion leads the warriors of Nazumah to hunt those same monsters, using the rare resources they gain to build their infrastructure and weapons.”
Those monsters give K’Sante his powers, using their “rare regenerating hide” to forge blunt weapons “that can be used defensively”, but also shatter to reveal sharp knives that can cut through any foe. He’s beloved by the citystate for good reason.
He is also League of Legends’ first LGBTQ-identifying male person of color.
K’Sante abilities in League of Legends
K’Sante will be a top lane tank in League of Legends with a clear design in mind, giving the role some skill expression: “We looked at our tank roster and realized we didn’t have like an Aphelios, Azir, or Yasuo of top lane tanks. They are medium to low skill and complexity,” Reav3 said back in April 2022.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
“The goal with this champ was to add a high skill/high complexity tank to the roster finally. Something that players that like that kind of stuff can really sink their teeth in and master over hundreds of games.”
That was echoed by designer Jacob Crouch, who harkened K’Sante’s kit to high moments like “Rock Lee taking his weights off or Goku going Super Saiyan”.
You can find the full list of K’Sante’s abilities in League of Legends below.
Passive: Dauntless Impact
- K’Sante’s damaging abilities mark enemies hit for a short duration. Attacking a marked enemy consumes the mark to deal damage plus max health physical damage.
- All Out: Attacking a marked enemy instead deals physical damage and additional max health true damage.
Q: Ntofo Strikes
- K’Sante slams his weapon, dealing physical damage in a small area around him and briefly Slowing targets hit. If an enemy is hit, K’Sante gains a stack for a short duration. At 2 stacks, K’Sante instead fires a shockwave that Pulls enemies.
- All Out: This ability’s cooldown is reduced and no longer slows targets hit.
W: Path Maker
- Begin Charging: K’Sante raises his weapons defensively for a short duration, becoming Unstoppable, and reducing incoming damage.
- Release: K’Sante rams forward, dealing a percentage of max health physical damage, Knocking Back, and Stunning enemies he passes through for a short duration based on charge time.
- All Out: This ability’s cooldown is refreshed, the damage reduction is increased, it deals an additional amount of physical damage based on charge time, and the charge and dash speed are doubled.
E: Footwork
- K’Sante dashes, gaining a shield for a short duration. If dashing to an ally, the distance is significantly increased and they are also Shielded. Other spells can be cast during this ability.
- All Out: This ability’s dash speed is increased. Dashing to a targeted location has increased range and can go over walls.
R: All Out
- K’Sante shatters his tonfas, dealing physical damage and Knocking Back an enemy champion. Enemies that hit a wall will take a greater amount of physical damage, are Knocked Back over the wall, and are briefly Stunned. K’Sante then dashes after the enemy and goes All Out for an extended duration.
- All Out: K’sante loses a percentage of max health, bonus armor, and bonus magic resistance. K’Sante gains attack damage, omnivamp, and transforms his abilities.
K’Sante release date in League of Legends
K’Sante’s release date has been confirmed for League of Legends patch 12.21, due to release on November 2, 2022.
The Pride of Nazumah’s release will also include a new skin designed in collaboration with Lil Nas X, who also wrote the Worlds 2022 song.
