League of Legends next champion is undead hunter Lucian the Purifier

The latest playable hero to join multiplayer online battle arena League of Legends is Lucian the Purifier, a skilled sharpshooter and hunter of the undead, developer Riot Games' announced on the game's forums.

The Purifier comes with a tortured past: long ago, he and his wife battled the undead together and purified evil spirits. On a deadly mission to the Shadow Isles the couple's foe proved too strong and his wife's soul was stolen. Lucian became a hardened man even more determined to rid the world of evil.

Lucian is a ranged fighter equipped with ancient weapons that shoot light bullets and shots that burst on impact. His skills include Piercing Light, which can be shot through multiple enemies in a line and damage all at once, and Relentless Pursuit, a quick-dash move that removes any slowing effects that may have been cast on him. Lucian can also fire in a single direction repeatedly while moving freely across the stage with his ultimate skill The Culling.

According to Lucian's introductory forum post, the champion has "significant harass potential" with his Piercing Light skills, which will force enemies to chose between missing their own shots or taking damage once he has fired. Relentless Pursuit helps him close gaps quickly and also gives him a slight speed boost. Scoring kills while using The Culling will also refresh use of Relentless Pursuit, allowing Lucian to combine the two skills.

Currently there is no official release date for the new champion. Read more about Lucian here, or test him out in the LoL public beta environment. Check out footage of Lucian in action below.