Why I believe an Ionia/Noxus event is on the horizon.

Hey everyone. Just back here with some tinfoil hat theories. But first, background:

#Ionia and Noxus

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/leagueoflegends/images/6/64/Ionia_Placidium_Navori.png/revision/latest?cb=20161118022147

If Demacia is the most recognized region, Ionia/Noxus are neck and neck for second and third place. These are the iconic "trinity" of League regions. Ionia being the asian/eastern culture stand-in while Noxus has been predominantly the Horde to Demacia's Alliance. Ionia also has the largest amount of champions of any region, clocking in at a staggering 25 champions associated with or involved with Ionia. Noxus is also the second biggest region in Runeterra, so they're both important. However, there is one major factor that sets them apart...

#The War

https://universe-meeps.leagueoflegends.com/v1/assets/images/highlights/noxus-bastion.jpg

Ionia and Noxus are the centerpoint of what I consider the most major event of League fiction in their "modern" era (Not counting runewar or ancient things that happened centuries ago). These two nations are forever intertwined and almost every Ionian or Noxus champion has something related to the war and/or the battle for the country. Be it a widened worldview, a very panicked fear about the threat of future invasions, or the feeling of a crushing defeat/amazing victory.

You can't really update one region without directly addressing the other.

#So why the theory?

To understand why my tinfoil hat is abuzz with speculatin, we have to pay attention to updates earlier this year. This year, we got...

• The Piltover Update
• The Zaun Update
• The Demacia Update

You'll also notice something important about each update: Each update coincided with a release of something. For Piltover, it was Camille. For Zaun, Warwick's rework. For Demacia, Galio's rework. As you can see, each major event had a "centerpiece" to tie it all together and provoke that initial excitement beyond just a lore update. That's when you look at the current champion update schedule. Who is on that?

#Swain and Irelia

https://nexus.leagueoflegends.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/LOL_CMS_138_Article_02.jpg

Swain and Irelia are sandwiched together, with a slight interlude between the two. How much of an interlude, I'm unsure. Roll with me on this theory and see if you can piece it together with me:

• 1.) Swain is released along with a Noxus update. It mostly chronicles a lore update for Noxus champions in addition to short stories, tales and general legends from the Ionia-Noxus war. It'd primarily focus on how Noxus as a nation recovered from probably the most crushing war loss in the history of the kingdom.
• 2.) Irelia is released along with an equal-sized Ionia update. It goes over the Ionian perspective and how (what I assume was) a once secluded nation is brought kicking and screaming into the modern era because of a powerful invasion force. Conversely, it focuses on Ionia struggling to rebuild and the trauma the Ionian champions deal with.
• 3.) With both done, we could possibly get a mini lore "novel" or movie that shows us exactly what happened during the Ionia-Noxus war. Everything from Noxus's first strike, the overwhelming force of Noxus in the foreign land, the turning tide for Ionia because of turning to less-than-savory allies (Jhin is a prime example) and the final resolution.

#Wrap-Up

Again, this is all speculation. Despite the pretty green name, I don't know any more than you all do. What I will say is that I'm following Riot's trends of new champ/reworks lining up with lore updates. With Noxus and Ionia being two of the final, major holdovers from old lore as well as two of their iconic champions being up for the rework/visual update plan? I'm guessing we're going to war sometime soon.