Here are the LoL Patch 25.05 notes

The first splits of major League of Legends competitions are slowly ending, which means the 2025 First Draft is right around the corner. In preparation for the first international event of the year, Riot Games is making pro-focused balance changes in Patch 25.5.

The first international event of the year, 2025 First Draft, is almost here. Five teams from across the globe—Team Liquid, Karmine Corp, Hanwha Life Esports, CTBC Flying Oyster and Top Esports—will be competing in the Fearless Draft on latest Patch 25.05.

When does LoL Patch 25.05 release?

League updates are usually released on Wednesdays, and the case is no different with Patch 25.05. It’s scheduled for a March 5 launch. While the official time of when it goes live remains a mystery for now, based on the previous updates, we can expect it to ship in the following hours:

• 3pm CT (NA)
• 5am GMT (EU West)
• 3am CET (EU North East)
• 8am KR (Korea)

What’s in LoL Patch 25.05

A handful of changes are coming to the game with Patch 25.05. These are mostly nerfs to the champions that are currently a bit too strong in solo queue and competitive play. At the same time, Riot is making massive adjustments to the lane swap meta, which has been dominating the pro play so far this year.

Pro balance

The developer is swinging the nerf hammer left and right this patch, targeting eight champions. “We’re going a little heavier on nerfs this patch; we overshot on Ashe so pulling some of that back… Some of the high presence Pro options we’re also tapping down to make the meta a bit more vibrant for First Stand,” Phroxzon wrote.

However, he underlined how the balance team is “overall pretty happy” with what the meta looks like so far. If that stays true after the First Stand, maybe there’ll be fewer tweaks for champions in the future.

Hextech Chests are back!

Ever since the current season started, League players have been begging Riot to add Hextech Chests back to the game. Their pleas have finally been heard. A week before Patch 25.05 launch, the developer addressed the issue, announcing Hextech Chests’ return on March 5.

Players will be able to earn up to 10 Chests and Keys per Act, which rounds up to 60 per year. Eight of them are spread throughout the free version of the battle pass, while the other two are unlockable via Honor, which is Riot’s way to encourage being nice and fair on the Summoner’s Rift.

Lane swap is cancelled

Lane swaps are the major issue for pro and high-ranked League players in 2025. Many of them voiced their concerns about the lane swap meta, pointing out it’s simply not fun. Luckily for them, Riot is listening.

On Feb. 22, Phroxzon revealed a lengthy list of changes coming to the game’s lane swap mechanics. These are meant to protect the champions playing against a duo from the enemy team, so it’s mostly for top and mid laners. They should be enough to change how the game is played, but we’ll see for ourselves soon enough. Some of these tweaks might be reverted after the First Stand “if the changes are proven to work, to avoid overly hitting solo queue.”

Minor rune buffs

Riot is also making adjustments for Sixth Sense and Unflinching while pulling some power out of Axiom Arcanist. Although, they are subject to change in the future. “We’re still discussing internally the interaction of things like true damage, damage amps and better defining our principles around them… Will let you know when we have more to share,” Phroxzon wrote in the early patch notes.

Champions

Thirteen champions are receiving changes. Riot is targeting a few champions in specific roles or with certain builds. These include Jungle Yorick, Speed’Gath Cho’Gath, and Dr. Mundo.

Ambessa

• E damage per hit lowered from 40-140 + 60 percent bonus attack damage to 40-120 to 60 percent bonus attack damage.

Aphelios

• Attack speed ratio increased from 0.640 to 0.658.

Ashe

• R damage lowered from 250-650 to 200-600.

Aurora

• E damage lowered from 70-230 + 80 percent ability power to 65-225 + 70 percent ability power.
• R border collision slow reduced from 75 percent to 50 percent.

Cho’Gath

• Q damage lowered from 80-340 to 80-320.
• W damage lowered from 80-300 to 80-280.
• E max health points damage changed from three percent at all times to 2.5 – 3.5 percent.

Elise

• Human Q damage lowered from 40-160 + four percent current health to 40-140 + four percent current health.
• Spider Q damage lowered from 60-180 + eight percent missing health to 50-170 + eight percent missing health.

K’Sante

• Passive mark damage lowered from 20 + one-two percent maximum health to 12 + one-two percent maximum health.
• W All Out bonus true damage lowered from 10-100 percent to 10-80 percent.

Dr. Mundo

• Base health increased from 613 to 640.

Poppy

• Health growth increased from 104 to 110.
• Passive shield increased from 13-18 percent maximum health at levels one, seven and 13 to 11-20 percent maximum health at linear rate.
• E damage increased from 100-260 + 100 percent bonus attack damage to 80-240 + 120 percent bonus attack damage.

Seraphine

• Q maximum champion damage amplifier increased from 60 percent to 75 percent.

Skarner

• Q maximum health damage lowered from 10 percent to eight percent.
• Q slow duration decreased from 1.25 seconds to one second.
• E cooldown increased from 20-16 to 22-18.

Yorick

• R monster damage cap decreased from 100 to 50.

Zed

• E damage increased from 65-165 + 65 percent bonus attack damage to 70-170 + 80 percent bonus attack damage.

Items and systems

Axiom Arcanist

• Ultimate amplifier decreased from 14 percent to 12 percent.
• AoE modifier reduced from nine percent to eight percent.

Hextech Chests, Blue Essence, and Honor

• 10 Hextech Chests and Keys—eight on the free Pass, two additional with Honor (up to 60/year) – Chests from both the Pass and from Honor will be the exact same Chests as the ones you got through Champ Mastery. The two Hextech Chests from Honor will be coming in Patch 25.06.
• Hextech Chests will be replacing the free Battle Pass skin.
• The Blue Essence cost of all champions will be reduced by 50 percent.
• Adding 25 Mythic Essence to the paid Battle Pass to replace one paid pass skin.
• Clash is going back to a monthly cadence.

Lane swaps

• If a team has zero junglers, this anti-lane swap rule never triggers.
• With one jungler it triggers when there are two non-junglers in either top or middle.
• With two junglers, any two champions in top or mid lane trigger the rule.
• Lane Swap zone covers the lane from enemy inhibitor to allied outer turret and reached 500 unites into the jungle.
• Warning ping and message shows when you are about to trigger a Lane Swap.
• Warning messages repeat while triggers a Lane Swap.
• Duration is from 1:30 to 3:30.
• Turret damage reduction increased from 50 percent to 95 percent when a Lane Swap is detected.
• Defending champion during the swap gains all gold and experience from lane minions.
• Defending turret during the swap executes minions in one hit.
• Offending champions receive 50 percent less experience and gold from lane minions.
• Buff and debuff lingers for 20 seconds in the top lane, only six seconds in mid lane.
• Exclusively for the top lane, defending tower executes enemy champions in one hit.
• Defending champion takes 50 percent less damage under their top turret.

Sixth Sense

• Cooldown reduced from 275/350 seconds to 250 seconds.

Staff of Flowing Water

• Rapid ability power buff duration extended from four seconds to six seconds.

Unflinching

• Armor and magic resistance increased from 2-10 to 6-12.

Yun Tal Wildarrows

• Critical crits per stack increased from 0.2 percent to 0.4 percent for melee, and 0.2 for ranged.

Swiftplay

• Sudden Death no longer damages the Nexus.
• Rod of Ages Timeless Timer reduced from 45 seconds to 40 seconds.

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