The Great City of Demacia is in turmoil. Mageseekers, the order who were assigned to control the usage of magic within the kingdom have begun to abuse their power. The group does still employ mages, as sometimes you need to fight fire with fire.

Our hero in this upcoming game is Sylas, an ex-Mageseeker. He was an excellent hunter of his fellow mages, maybe even too effective. Eventually, he realized the horrors of his actions and actively rebelled against the Mageseeker order.

The Mageseeker: a League of Legends Story is the second full RPG in the League universe. This time the game is taking up a 2D Pixel Art Style, quite the contrast from The Ruined King‘s visuals. Though the perspective and look changed dramatically from that of League of Legends, the output looks to have retained all of the charm and nuance of its source material.

This new title is being developed by Digital Sun in collaboration with Riot Forge. Digital Sun is primarily known for its indie shopkeeper RPG, Moonlighter, which shares the same aesthetic as The Mageseeker.

Here, we follow the story of Sylas, the Unshackled. He has escaped the captivity of the oppressive Mageseekers and goes down a road to redemption. His ultimate quest is to break free and finally bring justice to his fellow mage.

The Mageseeker’s combat is quick and frantic in a top-down isometric view. Although Sylas is considered a mage, he is quite capable of going toe-to-toe with enemies. He is a formidable fighter in his own right. Sylas can quickly zip across the battlefield with unrelenting speed and ferocity. Much like Kratos from God of War, he makes use of the chains of his past as his primary weapon. These can be used for both light and heavy melee attacks.

Where Sylas’ chains differ, however, is that he can use this to channel magic. As the kingdom of Demacia is filled with wonder and magic, Sylas has infinite sources to draw power from. He can channel elemental and arcane energies from the battlefield, enhancing his spells in the process.

Another unique twist is that Sylas can even use his chains to steal enemies’ magic and fling them back at them. Scratch that, as Digital Suns claim it’s not stealing since you’re giving the magic back. Go figure.

Fights in The Mageseeker seem to be isolated in wide arena-like areas. The locations are also quite varied, as you battle in glistening temples, corrupted forests, dark dungeons, and more.

Enemy variety is also looking to be quite good. The initial gameplay trailer teased us with different kinds of foes to take down, ranging from simple foot soldiers to monolithic beasts.

It also looks like there will be a ton of 1-on-1 duels, possibly against high-ranking members of the Mageseekers. The attacks that some bosses unleash on us seem to take up the entire screen, making things look quite tricky to get out of.

Of course, you can’t start an uprising all by your lonesome, right? Sylas will need to meet and recruit like-minded people to his cause. This is easier said than done, as the populace has become quite complacent and used to the trepidation brought upon themselves by the Mageseekers. Not everyone will believe you when you claim that their order is corrupt to the core.

Sylas will need to pick his allies closely and build up their collective strength. Doing so will allow you to fortify your base of operations, as well as unlock other powerful abilities.

Some other specific characters from the League of Legends universe that will make it into the Mageseeker are Morgana, Lux, Shyvana, and Garen.

The Mageseeker will be released on April 18, 2023. It will be available on all of the consoles, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch. Of course, it will also arrive on PC via Steam, Epic Games, and GoG.

Preorders are now available on all platforms. There are three different editions to choose from Standard ($29.99), Deluxe ($39.99), and Collector’s ($169.99). The Deluxe Edition will come with some bonus in-game resources, skins, and spells. The more expensive Collector’s Edition will also come with a Sylas Statue, comics, art books, and prints, as well as a Demacian-themed collector’s box.

Be sure to also check out our review of Ruined King: A League of Legends Story (and our beginner guide) for more on the universe. Airship Syndicate, the developers who worked on this game, have also been hard at work on a new MMO, Wayfinder. And finally, to get to know how Digital Suns operates, check out Moonlighter.

In other news, check out Lost Ark March Update “The Art of War” Brings Along the Artist Class and Starfield Now Delayed to September Launch; Starfield Direct Set for June.