The gaming community is abuzz with the arrival of the League of Legends patch 25.22, and as always, anticipation looms large. This upcoming patch, set to hit live servers on November 5, 2025, aims to recalibrate the game, focusing heavily on balancing runes, buffs for marginal champions, and adjustments for several prominent characters, particularly those in the Midlane and Toplane. Here’s a detailed look at what players can expect.
Exciting Champion Buffs
The patch brings a suite of buffs to several champions, enhancing their gameplay potential and overall viability.
Aurelion Sol
- Base Movement Speed: Increased from 335 to 340
- Q Burst Base Damage: Adjusted from 55-95 to 60-100
Aurelion Sol, often overshadowed in the Midlane, receives a much-needed boost. The increased movement speed enhances his mobility, allowing for greater positioning in team fights.
Blitzcrank
- E Cooldown: Decreased from 9/8/7/6/5 to 7/6.5/6/5.5/5
The quirky robot support is getting a notable cooldown reduction for his E ability, allowing Blitzcrank players to engage more frequently and catch foes off-guard.
Yone
- Q Base Damage: Raised from 20-120 to 25-125
With this buff, Yone’s early-game strength is set to improve, making him a more formidable opponent during laning.
Necessary Champion Nerfs
To counterbalance the buffs, the patch is introducing nerfs to a few champions who have been dominating the game.
Akshan
- Base HP: Reduced from 630 to 610
- Q Cooldown: Increased from 8-5 to 9-5
These adjustments will lower Akshan’s survivability slightly, making him a more balanced choice in the current meta.
LeBlanc
- Health Growth: Decreased from 111 to 108
- Armor Growth: Lowered from 4.7 to 4.2
These nerfs aim to squish LeBlanc’s late-game effectiveness, particularly against tankier opponents who can withstand her burst damage.
Talon
- P Monster Mod: Adjusted from 1.1x to 1.0x
Talon’s scaling with monsters will slightly diminish, making jungle pathing a bit more challenging for him.
Champion Adjustments to Watch
Skarner
- AD Growth: Increased from 3 to 4
- Q Bonus AD Ratio: Boosted from 80% to 90%
- E Bonus AD Ratio: Updated from 0% to 120%
- Q Cooldown: Adjusted from 13-7 after the first cast to 8-4 after the last offensive action (attack/throw)
- R Cast Time: Extended from 0.65 to 0.75 seconds
Skarner is seeing a recovery buff that could put him back in the spotlight, especially for those who enjoy his unique playstyle.
Volibear
- Base Armor: Increased from 31 to 35
- Base AD: Increased from 60 to 62
- Q Minimum Move Speed: Adjusted from 12-28% to 12-26%
- E Total Damage Cap to Minions and Monsters: Revised from 650 to 190-650 + 70% AP
These buffs aim to reinforce Volibear’s position in the Toplane, where he has struggled against various matchups.
System Tweaks That Matter
Beyond champion-specific changes, patch 25.22 introduces critical system adjustments.
System Buffs
- Guardian Rune: Shield value increased from 45-150 + 15% AP + 5% bonus HP to 45-180 + 25% AP + 5% bonus HP.
- Hail of Blades: Melee attack speed buffed from 140% to 160%.
- Legend: Bloodline: Increased lifesteal per stack from 0.35% to 0.4%.
These adjustments make certain runes more competitive and shift the dynamics of team fights and laning.
System Nerfs
- Biscuits: Minimum heal reduced from 20 + 2% max HP to 20 + 1.5% max HP.
- Phase Rush: This particular rune will receive attention as it currently empowers Midlane champions like Ryze, Orianna, and Taliyah significantly.
The Philosophy Behind the Changes
The development team, led by RiotPhroxzon, has made it clear that the changes resonate with player feedback and current game statistics. The nerf to Phase Rush is particularly noteworthy, targeting a rune that has granted champions strong resistance to slows, which has been deemed overpowered.
In discussing the nerfs to Biscuits, Phroxzon mentioned how their rework to prioritize health has created an overly comfortable environment for players, diminishing the choices available in the early game. This fine-tuning is part of an ongoing effort to maintain a balanced and competitive environment.
With champions like Aurelion Sol and Yone receiving timely buffs, this patch seems to be aimed squarely at both improving underperformers and addressing outliers in the current meta, all while striving for a more dynamic gameplay experience.
Keep your eyes peeled for the official patch, as the changes could significantly alter the landscape of matchups heading into the future!