Riot reveals set of changes coming with Patch 12.12

Riot Games has revealed the preview for the League of Legends Patch 12.12. According to Riot’s Associate Game Designer Tim “Truexy” Jian, the upcoming patch will be smaller than usual, even though it will affect 20 champions.

Riot intends to take its time before implementing any substantial modifications following the recent Durability Update, which introduced a slew of changes. The new patch will introduce changes to 20 champions, including nerfs to eight characters, a couple of buffs, and healing balance adjustments.

Champions nerfs

Following her release with the Patch 12.11, the League’s newest champion Bel’Veth will face a nerf. With a 51.98% win rate since the release less than a week ago, The Empress of the Void has had a significant impact on the meta. The developer appears concerned about her potential for an imbalance, but she isn’t the only champion who faces this threat. With Patch 12.12, Dr. Mundo, Viego, Singed, Zeri, Janna, Lucian, and Fiora will all be nerfed.

Champions Buffs

Rather than tweaking popular champions, the upcoming update will benefit a few underappreciated ones. Most notably, Ivern, who has been battling with a low pick rate, will be buffed in order to help the underrated League champion shine. According to League’s statistics site UGG, Ivern is falling behind when it comes to win rate.

The most picked champion Seraphine is also getting a buff along with Annie. Seraphine is a flexible champion who can fill a variety of roles, and with the impending buff, she might even find a permanent place in professional matches. The upcoming patch will also buff Blitzcrank, Jarvan IV, Amumu, Yorick, and Heimerdinger. After a continuous drop in popularity, Blitzcrank, who has the ninth highest pick rate in a support role, is finally getting some attention from devs.

In addition to buffs and nerfs, the new patch will tweak four other champions, bringing more balance to the meta. Since the new patch is designed to balance healing across the board, the healing abilities of Soraka and Yuumi will be adjusted. Katarina and Shaco will also be adjusted to align with the new healing meta that emerged after the durability update.

Insignificant patch

The official list of changes is yet to be revealed, but based on Tim “Truexy” Jiang’s comment on the patch, they are likely to be insignificant, as the patch will be smaller than usual. The adjustments are intended to be subtle, and they are unlikely to cause any major disruption because the player base is still adjusting to the changes made with the Durability Update and the Grievous Wounds nerf.

According to the game’s official patch schedule, Patch 12.12 will be available on live servers on Thursday, June 23rd.

Header: Riot Games