League of Legends Patch 14.23 Preview: Rell & Aurora Rework, Smolder Adjustments, and Additional Updates

League of Legends Patch 14.23 Preview: Rell & Aurora Rework, Smolder Adjustments, and Additional Updates

League of Legends is gearing up for patch 14.23, which introduces significant adjustments aimed at better balancing champion performances, particularly focusing on limiting their dominance in professional play while keeping them viable for casual gamers. Below are the latest insights from the developers ahead of the patch’s debut on the Public Beta Environment (PBE).

Although detailed patch notes are still on the way, renowned game designer Phreak has shared key objectives for this update, spotlighting champions Aurora, Rell, and Smolder as primary targets for change. Additionally, Phroxzon, the lead gameplay designer, confirmed that the new champion Ambessa will receive some polish and bug fixes, but no balance alterations, as her win rate is still low—a common situation for newly introduced champions.

Furthermore, there will be enhancements to the bounty system, building on the previous changes made in patch 14.21. Despite the rapid pace of updates in League of Legends, gameplay remains dynamic, with Phreak elaborating on the minor reworks slated for patch 14.23.

Early Insights on League of Legends Patch 14.23

Soul Squad Aurora
Riot Games

Champion Adjustments

Ambessa Medarda

Both Phreak and Phroxzon have expressed satisfaction with Ambessa’s current state and, for now, are refraining from any buffs. However, they anticipate implementing essential bug fixes in patch 14.23, including:

  • Fixes for input buffering related to her ultimate ability to enhance gameplay consistency.

Aurora

Aurora’s impressive performance during Worlds 2024 prompted developers to reconsider her previous balance adjustments. The team intends to nerf particular aspects of her abilities while making others more accessible for casual players, thereby reducing her strength in competitive settings. Key changes include:

Passive: Spirit Abjuration

  • Removal of bonus movement speed.

Q: Twofold Hex

  • Increased range by 50.
  • Higher damage output.
  • Cooldown extended.
  • Recast will activate automatically.

W: Across the Veil

  • No longer receives a cooldown reset on takedowns.
  • Cooldown duration reduced.
  • Provides movement speed upon casting.

E: The Weirding

  • Extended range by 50.

R: Between Worlds

  • Now provides W’s movement speed passive instead of the previous passive.
  • Increased duration.
  • Transforms the ring to slow enemies instead of trapping them.

Rell

Phreak indicated Rell’s excessive crowd control (CC) is skewing her towards pro play viability, complicating counterplay. The update aims to reduce her CC while enhancing her mobility, making her more suitable for players across varying skill levels. Changes include:

Base Stats:

  • Moderate decrease in armor and magic resistance growth.
  • Increased attack speed growth.

Passive: Break the Mold

  • Incremental increase in armor and magic resistance steal.

Q: Shattering Strike

  • Stun duration reduced by 0.1 seconds.

W: Ferromancy

  • Stun durations for both Crash Down and Mount Up have been shortened.
  • Bonus armor and magic resistance increased from 12% to 15%.
  • Passive movement speed enhancement now scales with ability leveling.

E: Full Tilt

  • Mounted movement speed is now applied to this ability, encouraging focus on it.
  • Cooldown reduced with rank ups and deals percentage max health damage without initial damage.

Smolder

The development team noted substantial nerfs to Smolder’s wave-clearing capabilities, which now make his full kit rotation less effective for wave management. Insights shared also mention:

  • Significantly increased attack damage (AD) scaling, making itemization more relevant than merely relying on levels and passive stacks.

Base Stats:

  • Reducing base stat level scaling to reduce his lane dominance, pulling him away from pro play viability.

Q: Super Scorcher Breath

  • Flattened damage scaling and reduced effectiveness against minions.
  • Mana refunds granted upon minion kills.

W: Achoo!

  • Adjusted mana costs to favor early game.
  • Damage distribution revised to balance between projectile and explosion.

R: Mooommmm!

  • Now inflicts half damage on minions and features a reduced cooldown.

System Enhancements

Bounty System Modifications

The bounties system will see notable improvements, including:

  • Increased caps on objective bounties.
  • Accelerated bounty accumulation for kills and assists.
  • More substantial devaluation of bounties for the losing team.

For more details on League of Legends patch 14.23, visit the official source.

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