A recently datamined League of Legends emote dubbed “Spirit of the Hearth” has given players what appears to be a coincidental first look at the next champion joining the massive League roster.

The emote, which was first shared on X (formerly Twitter) on May 14, shows a mysterious new character with glasses scribbling in a notepad with a quill pen. This character, who is labeled "AURORA" in the leaked League files, is decked out in full winter gear and has long brown braided hair. Her appearance in an upcoming emote suggests that she'll soon be a playable champion.

Early Aurora theories have been aided by several clues. The first is that the /r/AuroraMains subreddit has already been created, but is hidden; Riot typically preps for champ releases by creating these character-specific forums in advance. The second involves a teaser shared back in January. In that teaser⁠—which depicts a Runeterra mage’s workspace⁠—players have already spotted Aurora’s notebook and various brand markings that also appear on her emote appearance.

This all but confirms that Aurora will be the Vastayan mid-range mage that was teased by Riot devs just before the 2024 League season kicked off. Her biggest selling point, as shared by League designers at the time, was that she will have "a natural ability to see what others think isn't there."