Riot to bring sweeping burst damage item nerfs in LoL Patch 14.3

Although we’re approaching the end of January, the League of Legends meta is still taking shape with Riot Games planning even more changes to some newly-introduced systems in Patch 14.3.

In the next update, the developers will be bringing further nerfs to burst damage from items in order to balance out survivability among all classes while still maintaining clear distinctions for each class that makes sense with their role in a certain composition.

Looking ahead, a handful of items—like Collector and Youmuu’s Ghostblade—will be getting nerfs, while other items will be getting adjustments. AP burst will be getting scaled back as well, especially in certain items like Hextech Alternator, Hextech Rocketbelt, Echoes of Helia, and Lich Bane.

“Compared to peak durability update, assassins, mages and marksmen are dying a little faster, but fighters, tanks and supports are a bit more durable,” Lead gameplay designer Matt “Phroxzon” Leung-Harrison said. “[Patch] 14.3 will bring further reductions to burst damage from items to correct this. For some items, that reduction in burst will be added back to the AP to be interpreted by the champion’s ratios—like Ludens and Stormsurge—for others, it will just be a straight nerf.”

Most classes, according to Phroxzon, are staying alive about one second longer in traditional combat situations, with AD assassins and AP mages having lost health but gained damage as a result of the new item changes this past preseason.

This has, however, led to a one percent loss in win rate for mages in the bottom lane, although champions like Seraphine, Karthus, and Swain are still seen as powerful niche picks in solo queue with relatively high win rates, according to League stats aggregate U.GG. The play rates for these specific champions still remain considerably lower than traditional ADCs, but are still picked by around four to 27 thousand people worldwide in Emerald rank and higher.

These changes will also be punctuated with the newest skins to hit League from the Heavenscale cosmetic collection, featuring new looks for Kai’Sa, Lee Sin, Janna, Diana, Master Yi, Ezreal, and League‘s newest champion, Smolder.