League of Legends patch 25.16 notes aim to make LoL less balanced

According to LoL lead game designer Phroxzon, the overwhelming community sentiment is that the game is too balanced. So, to spice things up, they’re purposely spicing things up to see what happens.

While game balance is important, having a stagnant meta is a whole separate issue. A game being balanced only matters if people enjoy that state of balance, and LoL is due for a shake-up now that big events like MSI and the EWC have come and gone.

25.16 won’t by any means have the scale of a mid-season or seasonal patch where there’s a huge list of changes completely changing the game. But also don’t be surprised if Nautilus becomes an S-tier jungler off the back of these changes.

Here are the full LoL patch 25.16 notes:

League of Legends patch 25.16 notes

While not all of the changes have been released, we know who’s getting switched up and why they’re being changed. Several champions are being adjusted so they can work in multiple roles according to Phroxzon, with the team committing to trying to truly shake up the game and bring new characters into prominence.

Champion changes

Riot Games

Brand

Passive: Blaze

• Monster damage modification increased: 240% >>> 260%

Q: Sear

• Stun duration increased: 1.5 seconds >>> 1.75 seconds

R: Pyroclasm

• Cooldown decreased: 110-90 seconds >>> 100-80 seconds

Gnar

Q: Boomerang Throw

• Cooldown decreased: 20-10 seconds >>> 16-10 seconds

Illaoi

Passive: Prophet of an Elder God

• Total AD scaling increased: 105% >>> 110%
• Tentacle spawn cooldown decreased: 20-7.25 seconds >>> 18-7 seconds

Jarvan IV

Base Stats

• Armor per level decreased: 5.2 >>> 4.6

Kalista

Base Stats

• AD growth per level increased: 4 >>> 4.25

E: Rend

• AP scaling increased
  • E1: 20% >>> 65%
  • E2+: 20% >>> 50%

Lulu

E: Help, Pix!

• Cooldown increased: 8 seconds >>> 10-8 seconds
• Damage decreased: 80-240 >>> 70-230
• Shield decreased: 80-240 (+55% AP) >>> 70-230 (+50% AP)

Master Yi

Q: Alpha Strike

• Now works with Kraken Slayer and Terminus

Mordekaiser

Q: Obliterate

• Now scales with 120% bonus AD

Morgana

W: Tormented Shadow

• Minimum damage increased: 12-56 (+17% AP) >>> 14-70 (+20% AP)
• Max damage reduced: 32.4-151.2 (+45.9% AP) >>> 28-140 (+40% AP)

Nautilus

E: Riptide

• Monster damage reduced: 150% >>> 100%
• Now deals 150-250 (+50% AP) on the first hit against a monster

Nocturne

Base Stats

• Armor growth per level decreased: 4.7 >>> 4.2

Q: Duskbringer

• Bonus AD on trail decreased: 20-60 >>> 15-55

Qiyana

Q: Edge of Ixtal

• Damage increased: 60-180 >>> 70-190

W: Terrashape

• Bonus attack speed: 5-25% >>> 15-35%

Rek’Sai

Base Stats

• Base AD increased: 58 >>> 62

Rell

W: Crash Down

• Shield max HP scaling decreased: 13% >>> 11%

Rumble

Q: Flamespitter

• Bugfix: No longer deals less damage to champs on red side
• Max Q damage duration increased: 3 seconds >>> 3.5 seconds
• Now deals damage to untargetable enemies if already debuffed
• Now deals damage to enemies 700+ units away if already debuffed
• Damage decreased: 60-180 (+110% AP) (+6-9.2% max HP) >>> 60-180 (+100% AP) (+6-8% max HP)

R: The Equalizer

• Bugfix: No longer deals less damage to champs on red side
• Duration is now consistently 4.5 seconds across the entire zone
• Zone is now more responsive

Singed

Q: Poison Trail

• Bugfix: No longer deals less damage to champions on red side
• Debuff tick rate increased: .5 seconds >>> .25 seconds

Shaco

Passive: Backstab

• Bonus AD scaling decreased: 30% >>> 25%

Q: Deceive

• Bonus AD scaling decreased: 30% >>> 25%
• Cooldown increased: 12-10 seconds >>> 13-11 seconds

Sion

Passive: Glory in Death

• Base health cost per tick decreased: 2.3-24.4 >>> 2-19

E: Roar of the Slayer

• Armor reduction increased: 20% >>> 25%

R: Unstoppable Onslaught

• Bonus AD scaling increased: 40-80% >>> 60-120%

Sylas

Passive: Petricite Burst

• Monster damage increased: 100% >>> 150%

Trundle

W: Frozen Domain

• Bonus attack speed decreased: 30-110% >>> 30-90%
• Cooldown increased: 16-12 seconds >>> 18-14 seconds

Varus

Q: Piercing Arrow

• Max damage decreased: 90-370 >>> 80-360

W: Blighted Quiver

• On hit damage increased: 6-30 >>> 6-38

E: Hail of Arrows

• Damage decreased: 60-220 (+100% bonus AD) >>> 60-180 (+90% bonus AD)

Viego

Base Stats

• Attack speed growth per level decreased: 2.5 >>> 2.25

Q: Blade of the Ruined King

• Damage increased: 15-75 >>> 25-85
• Crit multiplier decreased: 100% >>> 75%
• Bonus monster damage removed
• Minion healing increased: 50% >>> 100%
• Monster healing decreased: 145% >>> 125%
• Champion healing increased: 135% >>> 150%

Warwick

Base Stats

• Base AD increased: 60 >>> 66

Passive: Eternal Hunger

• Base damage reduced: 12-46 >>> 6-46

Xin Zhao

Base Stats

• Base HP reduced: 640 >>> 620

Q: Three Talon Strike

• Base damage decreased: 20-80 >>> 15-75

Yuumi

Q: Prowling Projectile

• Empowered damage decreased: 80-380 >>> 80-355

W: You and Me!

• Heal/shield power decreased: 5-15% >>> 4-8%
• On hit heal: 3-11 (+4% AP) >>> 3-7 (+3% AP)

Item changes

Experimental Hexplate

• Overdrive attack speed: 50% >>> 30%
• Overdrive movement speed: 15% >>> 20%

System changes

Baron Nashor

• Base health increased: 11500 >>> 11800
• Bonus health per minute increased: 180 >>> 190