Greetings Summoners,
During the Pre-Season of Season 37, we’ll be testing a Saga Defender–required node meta in Battlegrounds.
The goal of this experiment is to meaningfully shift the Defender meta and encourage broader roster usage, rather than continuing to rely on the same small set of top-tier defending champions. This will be a restricted format utilizing Saga Champions; we recognize that changes like this can be frustrating or unpopular for some Summoners, so we wanted to clearly explain the intent behind it before it goes live.
For this test, the following global Defender Node will be active:
- "Saga Control - All non-Saga champions, when placed on defense, take 5% of their health per second as direct damage."
We want to test this in the Pre-Season while the stakes are low to see the overall impact on Battlegrounds gameplay and match flow.
The results of this experiment will directly inform whether this format is used for half of the Gladiator Circuit in Season 38, based on observed meta shifts and gameplay outcomes.
This is an intentional, data-driven test. While feedback is wanted, decisions will be guided by how effectively the format achieves its design goals, not only by immediate reactions.
DECK SIZE UPDATES
During the Pre-Season, your deck size will remain at 40 as we transition into the upcoming Season.
When the Season rolls over, you will need to edit your deck back down to 30 Champions.
If you attempt to enter a match or save out a deck with over 30 Champions, you will receive an error message, and your deck will then automatically be cut to 30 Champions.
ESSENTIA IN BATTLEGROUNDS
Additionally, with the launch of the Pre-Season tomorrow, you will see Essentia replace Trophy Tokens in the 48-hour Battlegrounds objectives, and within the Victory Track & the Alliance Event with the launch of the Season.
