League of Legends Patch 14.5: Strategic Overhauls, Champion Balancing, and the Dawn of Vanguard Testing
Bogdan LashchenkoThe League of Legends community is buzzing with anticipation as Patch 14.5 rolls out, bringing significant adjustments to the game's balance. This update is packed with essential tweaks to champions and item adjustments aimed at refining the gameplay experience to be both fairer and more enjoyable alongside with new PROJECT Skins.
League of Legends is known for its dynamic gameplay that evolves with regular updates. This ensures the game remains balanced and fresh, responding to the rapidly changing strategies and builds discovered by its player base. In Patch 14.5, which changed 14.4 patch, developers have focused on a wide range of champion modifications, including both buffs and nerfs, alongside item balance updates to keep the meta engaging. We will tell you everything you need to know about changes came to LoL with patch.14,5.
LoL 2024 Split 1 end time + Split 2 start date
One of the central updates of patch 14.5 was the end date of the first rating split of 2024. Here's what Riot Games said about it.
As we find ourselves two months deep into Season 2024 Split 1, it's essential to mark your calendars with the Split 1 end date, especially for those eager to achieve their ranked goals or for those who've been putting off their climbs (like yours truly).
Here are the key dates:
- Split 1 End Date: May 14, 2024, at 23:59:59 (local server time)
- Split 2 Start Date: May 15, 2024, at 12:00:00 (local server time)
Additionally, please note a bug concerning the ranked countdown timer in the client, which erroneously counts down to last year's Split 1 end date. Fear not, as we have a solution underway! The fix will be implemented in Patch 14.6, aligning the timer with the correct dates and times outlined above.
So, mark you calendars: second split starts May 15, 2024. For now, we can start to analyze what is coming up with patch 14.5.
Champion Enhancements in Patch 14.5:
- Jarvan IV sees improvements to his armor growth and reduced cooldowns for his Dragon Strike, enhancing his durability and aggression.
- Kayn (Rhaast) benefits from increased healing from The Darkin Scythe and Umbral Trespass, bolstering his sustain in battles.
- Kog'Maw receives a series of upgrades across his abilities, making him faster and more lethal.
- Rek'Sai experiences changes to attack windup and basic attack cast frame, along with adjustments to several abilities, aimed at making her gameplay smoother and more effective.
- Sivir and Veigar see enhancements to their base stats and abilities, providing them with more power and versatility.
- Vex's passive and E ability are improved, making her more formidable in her gloomy dominance.
- Wukong's passive adjustments are designed to provide more strategic depth to his defensive capabilities.
Notable Champion Nerfs:
- Bel'Veth's passive and Royal Maelstrom have been adjusted to keep her in line with other champions.
- Brand, Evelynn, and Maokai receive tweaks to ensure fair play and balance across the board.
- Nidalee, Senna, and Twisted Fate see reductions in their mobility, damage, and utility to address their overperformance.
- Vayne and Zac undergo modifications aimed at reining in their excessive effectiveness in certain scenarios.
LoL 14.5 Patch Champion Adjustments
Seraphine's Adjustments:
- Base Stats: Seraphine's mana growth is halved, while her mana regeneration growth more than doubles, suggesting a shift towards sustaining her abilities in the long haul. Additionally, her base attack damage is reduced, but her movement speed is slightly increased, emphasizing her role as a mobile spellcaster.
- Abilities: Notable changes include the scaling back of her passive damage and the removal of the 300% minion damage modifier, impacting her wave clear capability. Her Q, W, and E abilities receive adjustments in base damage, shield values, and crowd control effects, respectively, aiming to balance her offensive and defensive capabilities. The R ability's cooldown is increased at earlier levels, potentially altering her impact in early to mid-game skirmishes.
Yorick's Revisions:
- Passive and Abilities: Clarifications to Yorick's passive tooltip indicate a more defined role for his Mist Walkers, while adjustments to his E and R abilities suggest a rebalance of his damage output and the survivability of his Maiden of the Mist. The changes aim to fine-tune Yorick's interactions with monsters and lane minions, as well as his overall presence in the game.
Smolder:
Super Scorcher Breath (Q 225 Stacks) has been retooled to apply burn damage more dynamically, shifting from a flat percentage to a formula that benefits from Bonus AD, AP, and Dragon Practice Stacks, providing a nuanced damage output based on Smolder's build and performance.
Flap, Flap, Flap (E) sees a modification in its bolt generation mechanism. Previously tied directly to critical strike chance, it now produces a base number of bolts, with additional ones being added for every increment in Dragon Patience Stacks, allowing for strategic stacking to maximize output.
Mmooommmm! (R) undergoes adjustments in both its damage and healing capabilities. The ultimate's damage output is slightly reduced across all levels, but compensates with an increased sweetspot multiplier, making precise execution more rewarding. Additionally, the healing component is tweaked to offer a better synergy with Bonus AD, alongside a slight adjustment in AP scaling, ensuring that Smolder's sustainability in fights is closely linked to both skillful play and itemization.
Item and System Enhancements:
- Dream Maker and Heartsteel see adjustments in their damage reduction and bonus damage, respectively, aligning with a broader strategy to refine item effectiveness.
- Leviathan, particularly its Ornn Upgrade, receives a tweak in its bonus damage output, alongside a bug fix related to Ability Haste.
- Hextech Rocketbelt and Stormsurge experience price and attribute adjustments, reflecting ongoing efforts to balance mobility and offensive capabilities across items.
Item and System Adjustments:
- Frozen Heart and Lich Bane undergo nerfs, impacting their cost-efficiency and damage output. These changes aim to address their dominance in gameplay.
- Solstice Sleigh sees significant adjustments in its cooldown, bonus health, and movement speed, suggesting a recalibration of its utility in gameplay.
In the forthcoming Patch 14.5, League of Legends introduces a pivotal test phase for Vanguard in the Philippines, marking a significant step in enhancing the gaming experience. Vanguard's implementation is aimed at evaluating its effectiveness in live game environments from both the player's perspective and the developer's standpoint. Players in the Philippines will be required to activate Vanguard to access League of Legends, serving as a preliminary check before its broader global release. While Vanguard remains inactive in other regions for now, it is recommended that players worldwide prepare by downloading Vanguard in anticipation of its subsequent rollout.
Continued updates on Vanguard's deployment across all Riot regions are promised in the weeks to follow, with further details available through the game's player support resources.
Additionally, as Season 2024 progresses into its second month, the end date for Split 1 is announced, providing a clear timeline for players aiming to achieve their ranked objectives or catch up on their ranking journey. The first split will conclude on May 14, 2024, transitioning into the second split starting on May 15, 2024. This scheduling allows players to strategize and plan their ranked play accordingly.
A known issue with the ranked countdown timer displaying incorrect end dates based on the previous year's schedule has been acknowledged. A resolution is scheduled for implementation in Patch 14.6, ensuring the countdown accurately reflects the updated split timings.
LoL Patch 14.5 ARAM Changes
Patch 14.5 introduces targeted adjustments for the ARAM (All Random All Mid) mode in League of Legends, focusing on revitalizing the tank class and tweaking the balance for a more enjoyable experience. This update aims to recalibrate the role of tanks in ARAM by assessing their performance with the latest item updates, ensuring they're viable and fun to play.
Furthermore, the patch seeks to lower the barriers for players using Camille and Naafiri by increasing their Ability Haste. This change is designed to enable more frequent use of abilities, encouraging dynamic gameplay and strategic engagements in ARAM matches.
In response to the impact of previous updates, specifically the adjustments made in Patch 14.4 that affected the balance in ARAM, this patch introduces a series of nerfs and buffs to address these issues. Notably, some champions that became overly dominant in ARAM due to Summoner's Rift-targeted changes will see specific adjustments to bring their performance in line with the intended balance.
Buffs Include:
- Camille and Naafiri receive an increase in Ability Haste, enhancing their gameplay flexibility.
- Dr. Mundo and Nasus see a reduction in the damage they take, boosting their tanking capabilities.
Nerfs Include:
- Anivia, Illaoi, Karma, Lulu, and Renekton are adjusted to ensure fair play and competition. These changes include increases in damage taken or reductions in healing and shielding effectiveness.
- Zac receives an ARAM-specific nerf, in addition to adjustments in Summoner's Rift, aimed at moderating his healing power without compromising his unique playstyle.
These ARAM changes reflect a continuous effort to fine-tune the game mode, ensuring that each champion's performance feels rewarding and balanced, contributing to a competitive and fun multiplayer experience.
LoL Patch 14.5 Bugfixes and QoL Changes
Patch 14.5 for League of Legends not only brings champion and gameplay adjustments but also focuses on enhancing the player experience with a series of bug fixes and quality of life (QoL) improvements. These changes are aimed at smoothing out gameplay mechanics, fixing unintended interactions, and improving visual cues for better clarity during matches.
Quality of Life Enhancements:
- Inhibitor visual effects (VFX) have been upgraded for clearer visibility on respawn timings.
- Diana's E recast cooldown has been halved, streamlining her ability to engage and disengage.
Key Bug Fixes Across Champions and Gameplay:
- Azir's tower creation sound effects (SFX) and VFX have been corrected to prevent repetition upon activation.
- An issue causing Diana's passive to trigger inconsistently has been addressed, as well as a bug that occasionally allowed her to execute triple dashes with her E.
- Ivern's passive interaction with the Voidborne Rift Scuttler has been fixed to ensure proper functionality.
- The item recommendation system now continues to provide suggestions even after reaching a full build, correcting a previous oversight.
- A significant fix has been applied to ensure players with power summoner levels over 1000 continue receiving rewards, with retroactive rewards to be granted without notification. Players are encouraged to check their loot tabs post-patch.
- Sylas received multiple bug fixes, including one ensuring critical strikes from his passive correctly apply damage modifiers and lifesteal, and another making sure his W triggers minion aggro against opponents.
- A bug in Ultra Rapid Fire (URF) mode preventing Seraph Embrace's bonus Mana from converting into Health has been rectified.
- Profane Hydra's passive AoE now correctly triggers lifesteal, and various champions' abilities have been fixed to apply spell effects as intended.
- Smolder's E, LeBlanc's E tether, and Miss Fortune's Q have all received bug fixes to ensure they work as expected in various combat scenarios.
- Adjustments to vision mechanics, specifically related to Oracle Lens and Trundle's E, have been made to correct the duration wards are disabled.
- Viktor's passive now correctly grants ability stacks upon taking down Voidmites, among other targeted fixes across different champions and items to improve gameplay integrity and experience.
Additionally, unique visual and gameplay bugs, such as unintended interactions with certain items and abilities, visual effects not displaying correctly, and champions performing actions contrary to the game's rules, have been addressed. These fixes aim to polish the overall gameplay experience, ensuring fairness and enjoyment for all players. This patch demonstrates Riot Games' commitment to maintaining a balanced and bug-free environment, enhancing the competitive integrity and enjoyment of League of Legends.
Bogdan Lashchenko – content manager at EgamersWorld.Bogdan has been working at EGamersWorld since 2023. Joining the company, he began fillin the site with information, news and events.