Which changes do you think will shake up the pro play meta?
League of Legends patch 14.18 is here! This is the patch that Worlds 2024 will be played on, and it has many changes that can shake up the pro meta.
League of Legends patch 14.18
All of the nerfs are geared towards pro play, and more than half are aimed solely at it. This is expected of the Worlds patch.
Turret changes in Worlds 2024 patch
To further discourage lane swaps, the tower fortification is getting buffed even more. Towers are tankier and harder to burst.
5-minute Fortification Damage Reduction
- Fortification Damage Reduction: 75% >>> 85%
Turret Plating and Bulwark
- Bonus Armor and MR per Plate Destroyed: 40 >>> 50
- 20-second Bonus Armor and MR on Plate Destroyed: 45 per nearby enemy champion >>> 20 per nearby enemy champion
Champion buffs in LoL 14.18
Ahri
A small buff that shouldn't change Ahri's presence in pro play.
E - Charm
- Damage: 80/110/140/170/200 (+60% AP) >>> 80/120/160/200/240 (+75% AP)
Gnar
He gets more base AD as consolation for the Fleet Footwork nerf. However, the fact that he is now considered a melee champion (for item and system interactions) makes Grasp of the Undying a more attractive option. We may see Gnar even more in Worlds.
Base Stats
- Base Attack Damage: 57 >>> 60
Miscellaneous
- Gnar is now always considered a melee champion.
Hwei
This opens the door for support Hwei, but enchanters are not super prevalent in pro games.
WW - Pool of Reflection
- Ally Shield Strength: Reduced by 50% >>> reduced by 25%
Jarvan IV
A small nudge to his passive that shouldn't affect his pro game presence.
Passive - Martial Cadence
- Current Health Damage: 7% >>> 8%
Jax
Jax is already a valuable counterpick against champions like Camille. All of this will only increase his value, making him blind pickable in more scenarios.
R - Grandmaster-At-Arms
- Base Armor Granted: 15/40/65 >>> 25/50/75
- Base Magic Resist Granted: 9/24/39 >>> 15/30/45
- On-Hit Magic Damage: 60/110/160 (+60% AP) >>> 70/120/170 (+60% AP)
- Armor Per Additional Champion Hit: 15/20/25 (+10% bonus AD) >>> 20/25/30 (+10% bonus AD) (note: 60% of this bonus is still gained as MR)
Jayce
Some utility buffs for Jayce that Riot hope will increase his viability in pro play. Hint: it probably won't.
Q - To The Skies!
- Slow: 30/35/40/45/50/55% >>> 35/40/45/50/55/60%
E - Acceleration Gate
- Bonus Movement Speed: 30/35/40/45/50/55% >>> 35/40/45/50/55/60%
Miscellaneous
- Jayce is now always considered a ranged champion.
Jinx
Slight buffs that may nudge her pick rate by juuuust a bit.
Base Stats
- Attack Speed Growth: 1% >>> 1.4%
Lulu
More tiny buffs that will make the resident Lulu main happy, but she'll probably not make it to the Worlds stage.
Passive - Pix, Faerie Companion
- Pix Damage per Bolt: 3-37 (based on level) (+5% AP) >>> 5-39 (based on level) (+5% AP)
Malphite
Like Jax, Malphite is also the best-in-slot pick against some very specific drafts. Pro players who can min-max this small buff will be happy, but not enough to blind pick the rock.
Passive - Granite Shield
- Shield Strength: 9% maximum HP >>> 10% maximum HP
Samira
Small buffs for Samira may convince G2 or another team to pick her against a weaker opponent. Otherwise, expect zero Samira presence at Worlds.
Q - Flair
- Damage: 0/5/10/15/20 (+85/95/105/115/125% AD) >>> 0/5/10/15/20 (+95/102.5/110/117.5/125% AD)
Shen
Another top-laner that Riot is trying to push into the meta. It's probably not going to work.
Passive - Ki Barrier
- Shield Strength: 47-101 (based on level) (+12% bonus HP) >>> 47-120 (based on level) (+13% bonus HP)
Viego
The champion with the Worlds skin gets buffed — big surprise. Jokes aside, these changes actually peter out into a tiny nano-buff, if anything.
Base Stats
- Base AD: 57 >>> 60
Q - Blade of the Ruined King
- Bonus Damage to Monsters: 20 >>> 15
Xin Zhao
His buffs are aimed at lower ranks, according to Riot Games. Therefore, he's not a part of the pro buffs this Worlds patch.
Base Stats
- Armor Growth: 4.7 >>> 5.0
Q - Three Talon Strike
- Bonus Damage per Hit: 16/25/34/43/52 (+40% bonus AD) >>> 16/29/42/55/68 (+40% bonus AD)
Champion Nerfs in LoL 14.18
Aurora
Aurora was disabled in the tail-end of most regions' Summer seasons, leading her to not get as much stage time as a lot of the recent champions when they were newly released. Unfortunately for her, she's getting nerfed now that she's re-enabled.
R - Between Worlds
- Maximum Jump Distance: 400 >>> 250
- Wall Jump Forgiveness: 700 >>> 450
- Duration: 3/3.5/4 >>> 2/2.5/3 seconds
Azir
Azir gets a customary nerf in the Worlds patch (looking at you, Faker). Riot says that this is skewed towards pro play, and that the average solo queue game with Azir should look the same post-LoL patch 14.18. That being said, Azir will probably survive as a mainstay in pro play due to his kit.
W - Arise
- Damage: 50/65/80/95/110 + 0-77 (based on level) (+55% AP) >>> 50/65/80/95/110 + 0-45 (based on level) (+35/40/45/50/55% AP)
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Corki
Both sides of the Corki versus Azir matchup have been nerfed. We are one step closer to world peace. Their presence in pro play should remain the same, however.
Q - Phosphorus Bomb
- Damage: 70/120/170/220/270 (+120% bonus AD) (+100% AP) >>> 70/115/160/205/250 (+120% bonus AD) (+100% AP)
Ivern
Ivern has been a prominent jungle pick in pro play and "currently risks becoming the #1 jungler in Worlds," according to Riot Games.
E - Triggerseed
- Shield Strength: 85/125/165/205/245 (+50% AP) >>> 75/115/155/195/235 (+50% AP)
- Slow: 45/50/55/60/65% >>> 40/45/50/55/60%
Leona
Leona takes a small hit to her base armor in LoL patch 14.18. She will most likely remain one of the best engage supports in Worlds.
Base Stats
- Base Armor: 47 >>> 43
Lillia
Same reasoning as Ivern, but she receives more drastic nerfs. Expect Lillia to see less stage time in Worlds.
Passive - Dream-Laden Bough
- Monster Damage Cap: 70-100 (based on level) >>> 65 at all levels
R - Lilting Lullaby
- Sleep Duration: 2/2.25/2.5 seconds >>> 2 seconds at all ranks
Lissandra
A small nerf to her Q. This shouldn't affect a lot of her laning, especially when she's picked into a favorable matchup.
Q - Ice Shard
- Damage: 80/115/150/185/220 (+85% AP) >>> 80/115/150/185/220 (+75% AP)
Maokai
Riot is committing deforestation with another tree being nerfed. In their defense, he's an extremely strong jungler.
Q - Bramble Smash
- Damage: 65/115/165/215/265 (+40% AP) + 2/2.5/3/3.5/4% target max HP >>> 65/110/155/200/245 (+40% AP) + 2/2.5/3/3.5/4% target max HP
E - Sapling Toss
- Cooldown: 16/15/14/13/12 seconds >>> 18/17/16/15/14 seconds
- Sapling Duration in Brushes: 30 (+2.5% bonus HP) seconds >>> 30 (+1.5% bonus HP) seconds
Miss Fortune
This small Miss Fortune nerf in LoL 14.18 that shouldn't affect her too much on its own. The item nerfs, however...
Base Stats
- Base AD: 55 >>> 53
Nasus
Riot thinks Nasus has had enough playtime and that it's time to go take a walk.
E - Spirit Fire
- Initial Damage: 55/95/135/175/215 (+60% AP) >>> 50/80/110/140/170 (+60% AP)
- Damage per Second: 11/19/27/35/43 (+12% AP) >>> 10/16/22/28/34 (+12% AP)
Rell
Rell nerfs on her... E? These aspects of her E are not getting utilized too often in pro play, but it might placebo teams into not picking her as often anymore.
E - Full Tilt
- Maximum Bonus Movement Speed: 12/14/16/18/20% >>> 12/13/14/15/16%
- Maximum Bonus Movement Speed Toward Enemies or Targeted Ally: 24/28/32/36/40% >>> 24/26/28/30/32%
- Initial Bonus Movement Speed: 75% of the maximum (unchanged)
Rumble
Rumble is getting nerfed to reduce his oppression in time for Worlds.
Q - Flamespitter
- Damage: 80/105/130/155/180 (+ 110% AP) (+6/7/8/9/10% of target's maximum health) >>> 60/90/120/150/180 (+ 100% AP) (+6/7/8/9/10% of target's maximum health)
E - Electroharpoon
- Damage: 60/85/110/135/160 (+50% AP) >>> 55/80/105/130/155 (+50% AP)
Smolder
Smolder's waveclear is getting hurt, but his hyperscaling isn't being touched at all.
Base Stats
- Health: 605 >>> 575
Q - Super Scorcher Breath
- Damage: 20/30/40/50/60 (+100% AD) (+15% AP) >>> 15/25/35/45/55 (+100% AD)
W - ACHOOO!
- Glob Damage: 50/80/110/140/170 (+25% bonus AD) (+20% AP) >>> 45/75/105/135/165 (+25% bonus AD) (+20% AP)
- Minion/Monster Damage: 70/112/154/196/238 (+35% bonus AD) (+28% AP) >>> 63/105/147/189/231 (+35% bonus AD) (+28% AP)
Varus
Reducing Varus' viability before his buffs even made it to the pro stage. Whether this will affect his pick rate is yet to be seen.
Q - Piercing Arrow
- Maximum Damage: 90/160/230/300/370 (+150/160/170/180/190% bonus AD) >>> 90/160/230/300/370 (+130/140/150/160/170% bonus AD)
E - Hail of Arrows
- Damage: 60/100/140/180/220 (+110% bonus AD) >>> 60/100/140/180/220 (+100% bonus AD)
Vi
Vi is being nerfed to make way for other fighter junglers in this Worlds patch.
Q - Vault Breaker
- Minimum Damage: 50/75/100/125/150 (+ 80% bonus AD) >>> 45/70/95/120/145 (+ 80% bonus AD)
- Maximum Damage: 100/150/200/250/300 (+160% bonus AD) >>> 90/140/190/240/290 (+160% bonus AD)
Zeri
Zeri is getting safety nerfs so she does not become a good midlane pick again.
Passive - Living Battery
- Damage: 90-200 (based on level) (+1-15% target’s maximum health) (progression followed stat growth) >>> 75-160 (based on level) (+1-11% target’s maximum health) (progression is now linear)
Ziggs
This rat has finally been nerfed. His pushing power takes a hit, but his laning does not.
Passive - Short Fuse
- Increased Damage to Structures: 150% >>> 75%
Item and System changes in Worlds 2024 patch
Bloodthirster
- Ichorshield Shield Strength: 50-400 (levels 1-18) (aka 194-400 (levels 8-18)) >>> 165-315 (levels 8-18)
- Lifesteal: 18% >>> 15%
Immortal Shieldbow
- Lifeline Shield Strength: 320-720 (based on level) >>> 400-700 (based on level) for melee champions and 320-560 (based on level) for ranged champions
Luden's Companion
- Total Cost: 2900 >>> 2850 gold
- Ability Power: 95 >>> 100
- Ability Haste: 25 >>> 20
Shadowflame
- Ability Power: 120 >>> 115
- Magic Penetration: 12 >>> 15
- Max Health Threshold: 35% >>> 40%
- Pet/DoT Damage: 30% >>> 25%
- non-pet/DoT damage: unchanged at 20%
Stormsurge
- Magic Penetration: 10 >>> 15
- Passive Movement Speed: 8% >>> 5%
- Stormraider Health Threshold: 35% >>> 25%
- Squall Ranged Penalty: 10% >>> Removed
Fleet Footwork
- Healing: 5-100 (based on level) (+10% bonus AD) (+5% AP) >>> 10-130 (based on level) (+10% bonus AD) (+5% AP)
- NEW: healing is 60% effective for ranged users
- Minion Healing Ratio: 20/10% (melee/ranged) >>> 15% for all users
- Bonus Movement Speed: 15% for 1 second (melee/ranged) >>> 20/15% for 1 second (melee/ranged) (note: ranged users receive the movement speed bonus at 75% effectiveness)
For the full list of bug fixes, ARAM, and Arena changes, check out the official LoL 14.18 (Worlds 2024) patch notes.
For more League of Legends news and updates, stick around on esports.gg.
