2XKO ‘Illaoi, the Kraken Priestess’ gameplay trailer

“Hi everyone. My name is Caroline (Montano), game designer on 2XKOhere to give you an update on the latest addition to our roster: a champion who will be available to play for the very first time at this year’s EVO Japan.

“Illaoi, the Preistess Kraken. As a prophet of Nagakabouros, the Great Kraken, Illaoi’s faith demands that she take control of her own destiny by always moving forward. She wields a golden totem to test the will of her opponents and summon tentacles to fight alongside her.

“In 2XKO, Illaoi is a heavyweight who overwhelms his enemies with pressure as unyielding as his faith. His goal is to land big hits and inflict big damage. Then using tentacles to lock onto his opponent and do out of control combos.

“His kit revolves around summoning and activating spirit tentacles. First, she can use any of her S2 Specials to make a tentacle appear. Then, she can use any of her S1 Specials to unleash a tentacle follow-up attack, as long as her opponent is within that tentacle’s “splash zone.” Even if his opponent is out of range, Illaoi can use certain moves to teleport the nearest tentacle. She can also use Prayer of Movement or Prayer of Stagnation to activate the tentacles from a distance.

“While the tentacles are an important part of Illaoi’s kit, she is not a puppet character. We didn’t want to feel like her tentacles were fighting for her. Instead, they are like rewards that Illaoi can earn by playing well. This means always staying on the move and taking smart risks to take control of the game. Illaoi can also lose tentacles if his opponent hits them. In this case, Illaoi can still deal great damage, but she loses access to some of her most powerful neutral options. This means she will have to take more risks, or use an assist to engage her opponent, which is not ideal.

“During development, there was a lot of debate about how the tentacles should work. Should they be a true extension of Illaoi? Should they be completely independent of her? Both of these options seemed very “sink or swim”. So we opted for a more balanced path, where Illaoi can activate tentacles without coming into direct contact with an opponent, but that opponent can still counterplay against them.

“Beyond his tentacles, we wanted Illaoi’s kit to capture his incredible size, strength and momentum – and his Supers are no exception. With his S1 Super, Crashing Waves, Illaoi picks up his opponent, swings them over his head and throws him twice to the ground. If she already has a tentacle up, holding S1 will reposition it so she can stay on the attack after her Super ends. His S2 Super, Wrath of Nagakabouros, summons giant tentacles that strike the ground around them. It also turns all already active tentacles into giant tentacles and leaves one behind after it ends. This can be an extremely oppressive decision; but if Illaoi or his duo are hit at any point during the Super, his tentacles will disappear. So it’s safer to use against a knocked down opponent.

“Finally, Illaoi’s Ultimate – Test of Spirit – sends his opponent’s soul into the depths, where he will come face to face with Nagakabouros. We love the idea of ​​Illaoi expelling his opponent’s spirit and beating them as a tribute to his kit in League. Test of Spirit is a mid-range move with a super fast start-up, making it ideal for ending combos, as punishment, or for hitting a distant assist. It’s also invincible when starting out, making it a powerful knockdown. Illaoi is capable enough on her own, but her powerful assists make her an equally formidable partner. His Back Assist is a long-range sprawling strike, identical to his S1 Special. If there is already a tentacle within range of his opponent, he will perform his usual follow-up attack.

“Illaoi’s advanced assist is the same as its S2 Special. On its own, the assist is great for controlling the midrange, but using a handshake immediately afterwards allows Illaoi to step in and use the tentacle she just created to keep the pressure on. When she’s not on screen, Illaoi’s tentacles remain to provide her teammate with additional offensive support. Even when KO’d, Illaoi can use Last Stand to activate Wrath of Nagakabouros and send the opponent to Tentacle City.

“When choosing a partner for Illaoi, remember that she wants to push her opponents into a corner, but getting them there can be risky. Illaoi’s ideal partner is someone with strong neutrality and mobility, who can leave room for Illaoi to engage. Ahri is a great example of this. His speed and long range allow him to catch opponents that Illaoi cannot always pin down. His passes also help Illaoi extend combos or convert a defensive tag into big damage.

“Once again, Illaoi will be available to play at this year’s EVO Japan along with Ekko, Ahri, Darius and Yasuo. If you take part, try it with or against your friends and let us know what you think. Otherwise, you can always sign up for the home playtests happening later this year and follow us on social media for all future Illaoi updates. Thanks for watching and see you next time.