Summoners, grab your gear and brace yourselves for a game-changing update! The Rift is about to be shaken up with the arrival of League of Legends Patch 14.20. From long-awaited champion buffs to distressing item adjustments, this update promises to breathe fresh life into your favorite MOBA. Let’s dive into the details and discover what Riot Games has in store for us this time!
Developer Insights
League of Legends game lead designer Matt Leung-Harrison shared some details in a recent post on X.com about the process that led to Patch 14.20. In his post, Leung-Harrison contextualized major updates, especially focusing on champion buffs and nerfs that are said to rock the current meta. This patch is said to bring some big changes in order to balance gameplay for the players.
In addition, he mentioned that they have been witnessing fewer effects from snowballing and even had the game length consistent throughout matches. Champions were dying around 3–5% slower compared to the previous patches, thus letting players express their skills more while playing.
Champion Buffs
Those more popularly known marksmen and fighters will also see buffs. Aphelios will be receiving changes that will help improve his damage output during his early game to better match the other ADCs. Caitlyn, on the other hand, will similarly receive changes that would allow her to be able to break the lane control into becoming a stronger performer when in team fights.
Other champions receiving buffs include:
- Corki
- Lee Sin
- Pantheon
- Riven
- Sivir
- Tryndamere
- Xayah
- Yasuo
- Yone
Champion Nerfs
Many heroes will be nerfed in a bid to level the playing field from the standpoint of hero power balance in the game. Among those champions is Anivia, who excelled at crowd control and area denial. The same will be expected from Dr. Mundo and Mordekaiser, as both are to be affected by changes aimed at bringing them down in terms of tankiness and sustainability so their presence doesn’t overshadow the other champions taking up their positions. And of course, the list also adds Camille, a champion who, because of her incredible mobility and burst damage, had great power on the grounds of solo queue and competitive play.
Other notable nerf targets are the following champions, each of whom has shown a tendency to dominate in their specific role:
- Aurelion Sol
- Jhin
- Poppy
- Shyvana
- Singed
- Skarner
- Taric
- Udyr
- Veigar
- Yoric
System Updates
Buffs
Besides champion changes, Patch 14.20 introduced plenty of system changes aimed at refining the gameplay and overall feel of the game. Among these is the buffing of the rune Nimbus Cloak, which puts a boon upon a player’s movement speed after they activate their summoner spells.
Nerfs
On the other hand, many items will be nerfed in this patch. Armor itemization will be rebalanced to prevent champions that do a lot of armor stacking efficiently from dominating games. In addition to that, runes such as Grasp of the Undying will be reduced in power; mostly for champions sustained through trades. It further includes changes on key items such as Liandry’s Torment and Stormsurge, an AP item that showed particular strength in recent patches.
Adjustments
The patch will place additional emphasis on ADC itemization, including new changes to items such as:
- The Collector
- Statikk Shiv
- Blade of the Ruined King
- Kraken Slayer
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Conclusion
These champion buffs and game changes are too much for all the old and new players to find out and conquer in League of Legends. So, Summoners, it’s about time to take a hit on the Rift, test these changes, and make your path to victory. Who knows? The next meta-defining strategy might be in your pocket. Until the next update, have your skills sharp and your victories sweet. See you on the battlefield!
