League of Legends and Valorant are both free-to-play games with a monetisation model, so it's no surprise that Riot Games' upcoming title, Project L, seeks to continue the same approach. The 2D fighting game set in the League of Legends universe will be free-to-play, with senior director and executive producer Tom Cannon adding that the team is being mindful about how its payment methods will treat players.

"When it comes to monetisation, we promise to be respectful of both your time and your wallet," Cannon said in a development update video on YouTube. The man also confirmed Illaoi as the next addition to the roster, but she won't be the Kraken Priestess that League players are familiar with.

In a Project L development blog, game designer Caroline Montano detailed the changes that went into the champion's redesign as a "Big Body Juggernaut" with a "huge hurtbox, massive hits, and slower movement, with a simple-to-learn, hard-to-master kit.

"Illaoi is a strong and muscular woman who attacks with a giant totem, so it makes sense she would hit with her own physical strength, as opposed to hiding behind the power of her god or magical abilities," Montano explained.

"We also needed tentacles. Illaoi's god, Nagakabouros, is a tentacled sea monster, and there needed to be some aspect of that in her kit. But beyond empowering her attacks, Nagakabouros also gives Illaoi the strength to steal her opponent's soul."

Illaoi will join five other previously confirmed champions in Project L: Ahri, Darius, Ekko, Jinx, and Katarina. The game was first announced in 2019 and is being developed by former members of Radiant Entertainment, the studio behind the cancelled free-to-play fighting game Rising Thunder. Riot acquired Radiant back in 2016.

A release date or official name for Project L has yet to be confirmed.

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This article was first published in Geek Culture.