Blood Claims the Midlane as Valmont Joins Predecessor in Update 1.17

Something ancient has awakened, and it has chosen the midlane as its hunting ground. Valmont will become the next playable Hero in Predecessor when Update 1.17: Bloodtide launches on September 22, introducing a ruthless battlemage whose sinister identity appears built around supernatural power,

Something ancient has awakened, and it has chosen the midlane as its hunting ground. Valmont will become the next playable Hero in Predecessor when Update 1.17: Bloodtide launches on September 22, introducing a ruthless battlemage whose sinister identity appears built around supernatural power, aggression and an insatiable thirst.

Omeda Studios has followed Valmont’s initial reveal with a dedicated Hero Overview, giving players a clearer introduction to the new character’s intended combat identity. The presentation positions him as a threatening magical duelist capable of contesting the centre of the map while bringing a darker, more predatory presence to the roster.

Valmont Is a New Battlemage Built for the Midlane

Valmont is officially described as a battlemage and primarily presented as a midlane Hero. That classification is important because it suggests a hybrid approach rather than the behaviour of a conventional long-range caster.

Traditional midlane mages generally depend on distance, wave control and carefully timed ability rotations. A battlemage is expected to operate under greater pressure, remaining involved in extended confrontations instead of dealing one burst of damage and immediately retreating. Valmont’s design therefore appears intended for players who want magical damage without adopting an entirely defensive backline position.

Omeda has not yet published the complete Update 1.17 patch notes, meaning final statistics, scaling values, cooldowns and launch-day balance adjustments remain unconfirmed. Those details will ultimately determine whether Valmont functions as an aggressive lane bully, a scaling teamfight threat or a more specialised counterpick. His confirmed battlemage identity nevertheless establishes the general direction: he is designed to dominate contested space and make opponents uncomfortable whenever they move within his effective range.

A Creature of the Night Enters the Predecessor Roster

The language surrounding Valmont is deliberately vampiric. Omeda describes him as a relentless creature of the night, while the promotional campaign challenges players to “sate your thirst” and “claim the night.” Although the developer’s currently available announcements do not provide a complete account of his history, they clearly establish blood, hunger and darkness as central elements of his identity.

That theme fits naturally with the title of Update 1.17: Bloodtide. Valmont is not simply another combatant being inserted into the existing roster; he is effectively the face of the update’s more sinister atmosphere.

His introduction also expands the range of fantasy archetypes represented in Predecessor. The roster already covers soldiers, technological fighters, monsters, assassins, gods and traditional spellcasters. Valmont adds a gothic battlemage who appears less interested in controlling a fight from safety than in personally hunting the enemy team.

From a gameplay perspective, that character fantasy needs to be supported by meaningful risk and reward. A successful predatory mage should feel increasingly dangerous once an engagement begins, but opponents still need clear opportunities to interrupt, escape or punish him. How Omeda balances that tension will be one of the most important questions when Valmont reaches live matches.

His Arrival Could Disrupt the Midlane Meta

New Heroes always create an adjustment period, but midlane additions can have a particularly broad effect on the meta. The role influences both side lanes, contests central objectives and often determines which team can move first when fights develop elsewhere on the map.

A battlemage with strong pressure could force established midlaners to reconsider their positioning, early itemisation and approach to ability trading. If Valmont can remain effective in close-range exchanges, opponents accustomed to intimidating traditional casters may discover that advancing towards him only creates a more favourable fight for the new Hero.

His ultimate competitive value will depend on several factors that cannot be confirmed before the full patch documentation and live release. Wave-clear speed will affect his ability to rotate, defensive tools will determine whether he can survive coordinated ganks, and resource costs will decide how consistently he can pressure an opponent. Mobility and crowd control will also influence whether he remains primarily a laner or becomes a serious roaming threat.

Players should therefore treat early build recommendations and tier-list predictions cautiously. The Hero Overview explains Valmont’s fundamental concept, but reliable conclusions about his strongest items, Eternals and matchups will require testing against the full roster after September 22.

Bloodtide Also Introduces the New Crucible Mode

Valmont is one of the main attractions of Update 1.17, but he will not arrive alone. Bloodtide also introduces Crucible, a new 3v3 mode designed around smaller teams and more concentrated encounters.

The reduced player count should create a noticeably different rhythm from Predecessor’s standard 5v5 matches. With fewer teammates available to cover mistakes, individual positioning, target selection and ability coordination become even more important. Every Hero represents a larger percentage of the team’s total combat power, making an unsuccessful engage or poorly timed rotation considerably more expensive.

Crucible could also provide a useful alternative environment for learning Valmont. A smaller battlefield and more frequent confrontations may expose the strengths and limitations of his battlemage kit faster than a conventional match, although the strategies that succeed in 3v3 will not necessarily transfer directly to the main 5v5 mode.

Omeda has described Crucible as a full new game mode rather than a minor temporary modifier. More extensive rules, progression details and balance information are expected alongside the complete Update 1.17 documentation.

Predecessor Continues Expanding Its Third-Person MOBA Formula

Predecessor distinguishes itself through a third-person perspective that adds verticality, manual aiming and more immediate action to the familiar foundations of a MOBA. Players still select specialised roles, manage lanes, acquire items, defeat neutral monsters and destroy the opposing core, but the camera and movement systems make combat resemble a third-person action game.

Valmont’s battlemage concept should benefit from that presentation. A character designed to pressure enemies at dangerous distances can feel more physically imposing when players must directly track targets, manage sightlines and react to attacks moving through a three-dimensional battlefield.

The game is available as a free-to-play release on PC, PlayStation and Xbox, with cross-platform play allowing its community to compete together. Valmont will be added across the supported platforms when Bloodtide launches.

The Night Begins on September 22

Valmont arrives at an important moment for Predecessor. Update 1.17 combines a new Hero with Crucible’s alternative 3v3 structure, giving returning players both a fresh character to master and a different competitive format to explore.

His official classification as a ruthless midlane battlemage provides a strong initial identity, while the darker Bloodtide presentation separates him visually and thematically from more conventional mages. The unanswered question is how effectively that fantasy will translate into balanced matches once players begin optimising his builds and testing his limits.

Valmont and Update 1.17: Bloodtide launch in Predecessor on September 22.