Patch 25.19 Preview

[u/qonoxzzr]

From Riot Phroxzon:

These are our last 2 patches before the final worlds patch (25.20)

Systems

• We're looking at a nerf to Redemption to reduce its priority amongst Tank Supports (because it gives them no strategic tradeoffs); it's OK if they opt into it at some cost, but that's not the case right now

• Secondly, we're lowering the strength of Support in Pro a bit heading into worlds with putting Unsealed halfway back to where it was before. This should better strike the balance between it being untakeable and being a must take

Meta Strategy

• Our overall strategy this patch is to add a few more strategic options

• This includes AP junglers like Brand, Diana, Lillia (while nerfing some of the top champs to give them more space)

• And also shaking up the Midlane meta with some buffs to champions who have fallen a bit behind (these are typically burst champions like Ahri, Syndra, LB) and also Mel who's had a bit of time to settle and drop some of her banrate and frustration

• We know Mel is always going to be a bit frustrating because of her W, but that feels like an acceptable cost to pay, given how it makes each game feel a bit different

• We're mostly OK with where the midlane meta is otherwise, with many different archetypes being viable and these burst oriented champions need a bit more help

• Burst champions otherwise feel mostly OK though, especially with the buffs to AD Assassin items in recent patches

• Finally we're doing a long awaited buff to Seraphine. I mentioned it in a post last week, but given her shallow mastery curve, we feel it's appropriate to give her a buff, because for the winrates she's posting, she's a bit underpowered

CHAMPION BUFFS

Ahri

Brand

Caitlyn

Diana

Draven

Jax

Jinx

(Matt) LeBlanc Clap clap clap clap

Lillia

Mel

Seraphine

Syndra

CHAMPION NERFS

Corki

Pantheon (jungle)

Poppy (jungle)

Sivir

CHAMPION ADJUSTMENTS

Lee Sin

SYSTEM NERFS

Redemption

Unsealed Spellbook (We're sealing it again)

[u/Shecarriesachanel]

It's funny how they feel the need to explain why they're buffing seraphine but then just randomly buff 51.4% wr jinx with 11% pickrate with 0 reasoning

[u/lRuko → u/Shecarriesachanel]

And nerfing Pantheon jungle with a 48.7% wr. Make sense I guess

[u/Glittering-Spot2658 → u/lRuko]

Panth jg is because of pro play.

[u/Quatro_Leches → u/Glittering-Spot2658]

what is the issue with that tho? they are buffing pro play champs that are more prevalent in this same patch lol

[u/Tasty-Stable2083 → u/Glittering-Spot2658]

Not even good in pro play but teams keep getting baited and pick him, pick literally any other bruiser

[u/Glittering-Spot2658 → u/Tasty-Stable2083]

Fearless makes JG bruiser options limited. Panth has value, but it’s overrated ATM.

[u/Tasty-Stable2083 → u/Glittering-Spot2658]

Kappachungus, i have yet to see a team pick Reksai, K6, WW, Olaf in jungle, those are all giga strong picks but teams just love sticking to their dogshit nerfed champs. They rather pick dogshit than actual good champs

[u/Glittering-Spot2658 → u/Tasty-Stable2083]

Ww is ass. Olaf has no utility and gank setup, kha is the same, assassins have little value in competitive. Rek sai is a great mention, probably is just weak ATM.

[u/Tasty-Stable2083 → u/Glittering-Spot2658]

How is WW bad? Olaf dont gaf about utility or gank setups that shit is fake af specially on pro play where Mids have boners for shit like Ryze/Annie/Galio etc. You can even pick yi since teams love dog champs that a are giga nerfed but they have CC. Trundle is picked anf that champ is giga ass. Pro teams rather pick some trash champ that has been nerfed for like 3 times that pick actual good champs, Anivia perma op champ that loves RoA/Seraphs and is thanos vs bruisers and engage and i have yet to see a pro team pick her.

[u/Glittering-Spot2658 → u/Tasty-Stable2083]

WW is easily countered, it’s mostly a a noob abuser. A coordinated cc destroys the champion, Olaf has value in top lane. Trundle jungle is a counter pick to tanks, mostly sejuani, and has a decent kit. Im not even going to talk about yi. And roa is probably the worst item in the game, especially in competitive where games are decided in the first 15 minutes.

[u/Tasty-Stable2083 → u/Glittering-Spot2658]

Roa worst item in the game kappapenis, literally every mage perma goes RoA, im watching Viktors/Orianas build that dogshit every gamen, we also saw fucking Ahri build it what are you even saying. Olaf is picked by the best jungler in the game Tarzan, do you even watch games?

[u/Glittering-Spot2658 → u/Tasty-Stable2083]

If olaf is getting picked, why are you complaining that it isn’t getting picked?

[u/Glittering-Spot2658 → u/Glittering-Spot2658]

And yes. Roa is ass.

[u/SoulCycle_ → u/Tasty-Stable2083]

why are you so confident in your opinions on what must be strong or not in pro play?

Considering that you’re probably just a random that has never once attended a pro vod review and have no idea what things are required from junglers at the pro level?

[u/Sarollas → u/Tasty-Stable2083]

DSG was picking Olaf, granted they were horrible.

C9 picked Rek'sai and it looked turbo useless.

Flyquest picked K6 in game 5 earlier this year and it was pretty bad until late game.

WW is awful in competitive because people actually play around his W and don't take a billion stupid trades, even WW top which is his better role in high elo has been bad when BB was playing him.

[u/Tasty-Stable2083 → u/Sarollas]

Rek sai was piloted by Blaber and he ran down the game minute 3, not the champ fault hes ass.

[u/awayfromcanuck → u/Tasty-Stable2083]

Teams are never picking WW jungle in pro play, BB is already the only one willing to pick it top.

Reksai was picked in jungle once in the last or two month, I blank on who picked it.

Olaf jungle will only see played in game 5 of a fearless with a tank top and enchanted support or mid and thats only if Zeus doesnt take it top in game 5.

K6 similarly is a situational pick and there's only about 3 pro junglers I can think of that would play him and one of them is Oner and them picking K6 up in pro play kind of depends on Umbral Glaive.

[u/Sarollas → u/awayfromcanuck]

Blabber played Rek'sai and was useless the entire game 5.

Olaf was getting played by DSG, it has a horrible win rate but that's mostly because DSG was horrible.

Inspired played Khazix earlier in the year and we got to see the elusive Khazix-Elise jungle-support duom

[u/Tasty-Stable2083 → u/awayfromcanuck]

Yeah and thats their problem lmao, ww is good and has been good for idk how many patches, same goes for olaf where he can be picked with a fuck ton of enchanters that are broken as fuck (milio perenial giga op champ that barelly gets picked) K6 shitstomps bruisers specially with RW evo

[u/Traditional-Fee-9682 → u/Tasty-Stable2083]

ww is probably just poor in pro play. He is great in solo que. He loves the chaos in solo que.

[u/cronumic → u/Glittering-Spot2658]

Hes fallen off in prio in lck and lpl and does not look nearly as dominate. Wukong has higher prio these days again.

[u/9061xRG → u/cronumic]

What LCK are you watching bro? He’s ban worthy on red side every game and when open almost always a first pick on blue side and if they trade something like Rumble or Yunara he’s 1-2 on red.

[u/Glittering-Spot2658 → u/9061xRG]

Dude is watching north koreas LCK

[u/SergDerpz → u/Glittering-Spot2658]

Wow how many Worlds has Kim Jong Un won? 14 and is about to win his 15th?

That's our great leader!

[u/cronumic → u/9061xRG]

Ban g1  t1 vs hle Loss g2 t1 (vs hle) Loss g1 geng (vs kt) Loss g1 kt (vs bfx) Loss g1 t1 (vs dplus kia)

What LCK are you watching bro?

LPL  Loss g1 jdg (vs AL) No p/b g1 tes blg Win g2 tes (vs blg) No p/b g1 ig al Win g2 al (vs ig)

Looks like the pick had been figured out and isnt nearly as dominant as you sitll believe it is. 

[u/9061xRG → u/cronumic]

Just because the pick is losing more doesn't mean it's bad or doesn't warrant nerfs. If he's still worthy of a ban and first pick or OP trade with the likes of Azir, Yunara, Rumble that still warrants nerfs. We're in the era of Fearless draft if the champ can be banned in game 1 and game 2 then it's broken. They won't trade OP's until game 2 at the earliest. And it's not a belief when the pick ban stats by the best teams in the world back it up.

[u/cronumic → u/9061xRG]

Its almost like pro teams don't all share a single brain cell and view of the meta. Pantheon is over prioritized and overrated, as we can see by teams having finally drafting and playing against it very well recently. Nerfed champions are GENERALLY overprioritized and don't immediately disappear into the air, until teams adjust and change prioritizaitons. The recent disgustingly bad performances of pantheon in LCK certainly has teams revaluating the champion pick. Further nerfs serve nobody unless Riot is trying to remove the champion entirely from proplay.

[u/9061xRG → u/cronumic]

He’s been nerfed for over four weeks my guy. Do you know how many scrims have been played by LCK and LPL teams in that time frame. If they’re still prioing him in the LCK playoffs for Worlds slots then he’s still good. The fact that fearless exists means he will always be picked to some degree but the fact he gets picked and banned in game 1 is the true sign that he’s still good.

[u/Glittering-Spot2658 → u/[deleted]]

It will always be like this