Yesterday, version 1.16 of Super Evil Megacorp’s hit mobile MOBA Vainglory (Free) launched and with it saw the debut of its newest hero Alpha as well as a new gameplay mode along with new skins and a host of balance changes.

While there’s a host of additions to talk about in 1.16, the biggest that most folks will be talking about is the debut of Alpha, the melee Jungler cyborg/ninja with the unique ability to come back to potentially come back to life after being struck down by an enemy hero. I’ve already had a few matches with her and I can already tell that Alpha’s going to be a very interesting hero to play with in late game.

Other cool additions include Battle Royale, which can best be described as a streamlined version of Vainglory that takes place solely in the lane with randomized heroes at an accelerated pace that emphasized team battles. Version 1.16 also sees the debut of the Netherworld Fortress Tier I, II, and III skins, along with the Spring Map reskin.

The last significant addition in Version 1.16 is the debut of a ‘Boost’ market that allows players to  purchase temporary boosts to Glory and Guild Fame accumulation (as well as a permanent Glory Booster for a hefty price). None of the boosts impact rankings or anything of significance but its nice to see SEMC incorporate new ways of monetization.

Finally, a significant number of heroes and items got received balance changes, including a significant buff to Joule and some big changes to how Minion Mines work.

Full release notes can be found here. Meanwhile, expect a more detailed guide on Alpha in the near future as we take her for a deeper spin in the Halcyon Fold.