Wild Rift Patch 6.1 Brings Starry Theme, New Champion, and Ranked System Overhaul

Image via Riot Games

The latest Wild Rift update, Patch 6.1, has arrived with a cosmic new theme titled Dual Nova. This update gives the game a galactic facelift, with starlit visuals taking over the Home Screen, Shop, and Loading Screen. Central to the theme are the Challenger’s Star and the soon-to-be-launched Adventure’s Star, which will offer players ways to earn rewards by lighting up in-game constellations.

Adventure’s Star Launching Soon

While Challenger’s Star is already active, Adventure’s Star will become available on May 16 at 00:00 UTC. When it goes live, all casual modes will be playable under the new starry framework. Players can earn points by participating in Adventure Mode to upgrade their Battlefest medals and unlock exclusive items. The patch also introduces improvements to matchmaking—grades from different modes will now influence matchmaking accuracy. ARAM and AAA ARAM queues have also been refined to reduce uneven matchups and combat win-trading behaviors.

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New Champion: Ryze Joins the Fight

Ryze, the powerful Rune Mage, is the latest champion to enter Wild Rift. Known for his unrelenting pursuit of dangerous World Runes, Ryze offers high arcane damage and strategic depth. He will be available for play starting April 17 at 00:01 UTC.

Wild Pass and Skin Returns

A new Wild Pass is now live, featuring Wondertown Twisted Fate. Players who reach level 75 can unlock an Ascended version of the skin along with various in-game rewards. The Wild Pass Emporium also brings back limited-time skins such as Hexplorer Galio, Stargazer Karma, Dream Raider Nasus, and Superhero Jayce, including their Ascended versions.

Ranked Season 17 and Rewards

Ranked Season 17 begins on April 18 at 03:00 UTC and will run until July 2025. A new Ranked Reward skin, Glorious Airgrette Janna, headlines this season’s prize pool. Players can also obtain returning Glorious skins from past seasons. Significant changes have been made to Ranked rewards: players can now unlock skins by playing just five games. Season Rewards and related systems have been retired in favor of a simplified and more accessible reward structure. Weekly and monthly tier rewards have been added to enhance progression.

Ranked System Updates and New Features

Several new mechanics are introduced for Ranked play:

• Rising Star: Players in Gold rank or lower earn a bonus mark for winning with an S rating.
• Remake Vote for Unbalanced Compositions: Games with skewed team compositions may be remade before starting to ensure fair play.
• Rank-Up Event: Players reaching Masters will earn the “A Master’s Mark: Trailblazer” title and Ranked Wings cosmetics, visible throughout the season.

Legendary Ranked Adjustments

Legendary Ranked mode has also seen key updates:

• Renamed tiers for clarity, with Warrior removed and others now prefixed with “Legendary.”
• New Legendary Energy system rewards good performance with more progression.
• Champion pool rules have been relaxed, allowing use of champions with past high performance.
• First loss of the season includes mark-loss protection.
• Tier carry-over bonuses now apply at season start.

Champion Score Rebalance and Challenges

Champion Score calculations have been reworked to emphasize higher-level play. Fewer matches are now required to reach max score, and bonus challenges on weekends offer more opportunities for advancement. The Lane Icon system expands from five to eight icons, while “Master of Versatility” gains new levels.

Collected Legends Upgraded

Collected Legends mode gets a refresh this patch:

• New rewards include Chroma skins and rare companions.
• Improved drop rates and a streamlined card crafting system.
• Easter Eggs and surprise bonuses now feature more frequently.
• Players can open multiple packs quickly with the new "Open All" option.

Anti-Cheat Measures Enhanced

Riot continues to strengthen its anti-cheat system, Embedded Vanguard. In matches where cheating is detected, the game will be terminated with no outcome for honest players, and bans will be issued to cheaters.

More updates are on the way check out the full patch notes here.

Custom Controls and UI Improvements

Control settings now include a new “Champion Controls” tab. Players can fine-tune features like quick-cast preferences, aim timers, and joystick responsiveness. These changes aim to improve precision and comfort for all champions, especially those with complex abilities like Rumble and Viktor.

Patch 6.1 combines gameplay innovation with visual refreshes, making it one of Wild Rift’s most substantial updates to date. With fresh rewards, a new champion, and sweeping competitive changes, players are encouraged to dive in and explore the updated Rift.