Riot tries again: K’Sante rework brings 50 changes over 6 abilities for controversial LoL lane bully

K’Sante is (for the hundredth time, it feels like) on the chopping block heading into the next League of Legends update. Because it worked so well last time, Riot Games is spinning up the same balance plan: Blast the Pride of Nezumah’s stats and ability effects.

Don’t worry though, this one’s sure to be the winner, with the in-testing K’Sante changes touching everything from his beefed up base stats to his passive, all three of his core League abilities, and his All Out upgrade ultimate. These include new or updated effects for every single one of his Q, W, E, R, and passive, mostly themed around more outplays.

This monster changelist comes after Riot Phreak, who’s been helming most changes for K’Sante over the last calendar year, admitted some months ago he’d “chosen the wrong goals” for the Pride of Nezumah and believes he optimized for the wrong things. In an effort to make things right, Phreak’s now focusing on righting his wrongs. “I was ultimately responsible for every K’Sante line we shipped in the last six months and I chose the wrong goals… I’m sorry for that.”

Phreak’s apology came with an explanation: K’Sante will likely remain the best tank pick in pro play, but Riot doesn’t want him staying as the best frontliner across the roster.

All up, there’s a half-ton of changes currently being tested for the top laner, with this Season 14 mini-rework encompassing as many as 542 words and 3,246 characters—about as weighty a tome as you’ll ever see in League bar genuine reworks.

Direction-wise, expect K’Sante to lose a lot of his burst after these League changes arrive on the Summoner’s Rift in Patch 14.19 on Wednesday, Sept. 25. While the Shuriman hunter will retain much of his tanky profile, a whole lot more will come through resistances and lategame scaling. Some mobility has also been ripped away with anyone hoping to master K’Sante now expected to position better and employ abilities wisely.

Early responses to the latest K’Sante rework (his second of the 2024 season and his sixth since releasing in late 2022, including a huge one this time last year) have been extremely negative, with some League players questioning what Riot is trying to achieve. Others think he’ll simply no longer be fun to play without the fluidity at the heart of his design.

If you’ve got 20 minutes spare, here’s all K’Sante’s planned changes.

All K’Sante rework changes in Patch 14.19

Base stats

• Attack range reduced from 175 to 150.
• Base attack speed increased from 0.625 to 0.658.
• Attack speed ratio increased from 0.625 to 0.658.

Passive — Dauntless Instinct

• Base damage increased from 5-20 (based on level) to 20 at all levels.
• Health ratio changed from 1-2 percent to 1-2 percent of target’s maximum health.
• Removed effects
  • No longer grants 25 bonus attack range against a marked target.
  • Damage is no longer converted to true damage while All Out.
  • Damage is no longer increased by 30-78 percent (based on level) while All Out.
• Added effects
  • While All Out, K’Sante’s basic attacks and abilities now deal bonus physical damage

Q — Ntofo Strikes

• Width reduced from 150 to 100 units.
• Base damage increased from 30-130 to 70-190.
• Damage armor ratio increased from 30 to 35 percent bonus armor.
• Damage resistance ratio increased from 30 to 35 bonus magic resistance.
• Cast time increased from 0-.45-0.25 (based on bonus health) to 0.45-0.35 (based on bonus resistances).
• Cooldown changed from 3.5-1.75 (based on bonus resistances) to 3.5-1.75.
• All Out cooldown reduction increased from 25 to 33 percent.
• All Out minimum cooldown reduced from 1.33 to 1.17 seconds.
• Removed effects
  • Damage no longer scales with 40 percent attack damage.
• Added effects
  • Now slows enemies while All Out.

W — Path Maker

• Minimum charge duration reduced from 0.66 to 0.4 seconds.
• Base damage increased from 20-100 to 40-120.
• Damage health ratio changed from 6-10 percent to eight percent of target’s max health at all levels.
• Stun duration changed from 1.25 at all times to 0.5-1.5 (based on channel time).
• Removed effects
  • Damage no longer scales with 50 percent attack damage, 30 percent bonus armor, and 30 percent bonus magic resistance.
  • K’Sante can no longer change his charging direction during the cast time.
  • Recast now always dashes toward charging direction.
• Added effects
  • Health ratio now scales with two percent per 100 bonus armor and two percent per 100 bonus magic resistance.
  • Now deals 10-100 percent (based on channel time) of Path Maker’s damage as bonus true damage in All Out.

E — Footwork

• Dash speed reduced from 900 to 550 (All Out dash speed reduced to 950).
• All Out ally dash speed increased from 1,100 to 1,400.
• Cooldown reduced from 10.5-8.5 to 10-8 seconds.
• Removed effects
  • Ally dash speed no longer scales with 100 percent movement speed.
  • Location dash can no longer cross terrain during All Out (All Out ally dash unchanged).
  • Location dash range no longer increased by 400 while All Out.

R — All Out Ultimate

• Damage type changed from magic to physical.
• Base damage increased from 70-150 to 80-150, maximum base damage increased from 140-300 to 160-300.
• Duration reduced from 20 to 15 seconds.
• Bonus attack speed increased from 25-45 to 40-80 percent.
• Removed effects
  • Damage no longer scales with 65 percent ability power.
  • All Out can no longer be recast to end effects early.
  • No longer gains 10-40 (plus 25 percent bonus armor, plus 25 percent bonus magic resistance) bonus attack damage.
  • No longer heals K’Sante for 15-25 percent damage dealt to champs during duration.
• Added effects
  • Wall passthrough damage now scales with five percent of bonus health.
  • Now grants 20 percent omnivamp for the duration.
  • Now grants 50 percent bonus armor penetration.

These sweeping changes are now currently being run for testing on the League PBE ahead of the 14.19 release next week. Until they ship live, all changes are tentative.