League of Legends patches are always “munch on some popcorn and watch the League community explode” moments, and Patch 14.8 is already shaping up to be a doozy on that front—especially because it’s also the patch pros will be playing MSI on.
This patch doesn’t focus on one role; it focuses on them all, which means nearly all your favorites are being targeted, as are the ones causing the most trouble on the Rift. But there are clear winners and, unfortunately, losers in this patch.
League Patch 14.8’s TL;DR winners and losers
Winners
- Galio
- Hwei
- Baron Nashor
- Top lane (via Voidgrub spawn delay)
- Zyra, Zed, and Fiddlesticks (for their Blood Moon skins)
Losers
- Zac
- Zeri
- Mordekaiser
Biggest changes in League Patch 14.8
1) Here’s to more Galio buffs
Despite substantial damage buffs in Patch 14.7, Galio can’t seem to take off, so he is being buffed again in Patch 14.8. Now, it’s not like his win rate is awful; it’s sitting at 49.9 percent according to U.GG, the League stat tracker, but the devs aren’t happy with where he’s at, so the plan is to “bring him a bit further up.”
Although the buffs can be seen as a big win, the fact is he’s not one of the more popular champs in the meta, at least for us everyday League players, even though he’s a moderately easy champion to master.
However, for pros, his map-wide utility, tankiness, and damage make him a great pick, and one we should see more of in pro games, especially at MSI this May.
2) Hwei should be Hwei better to play
Hwei landed “Hwei-off,” and he hasn’t been picked up as often as the devs would have liked. I’ll admit, his combos are challenging to remember, especially when you’re in the thick of a fight. So, it’s understandable why he’s not too highly picked.
While he’s only getting a small buff to his ability power damage in League Patch 14.8, it should likely be enough to see him picked and played more often. And this is a good thing. Hwei has one of the most stunning designs in League, and it would be a shame to see him sit on the sidelines. So, this patch will be a big win for him, especially if this buff means we don’t see Azir in every single game—pro or otherwise.
3) Baron Nashor will be tougher to take down
Baron Nashor suffers every game. The poor fellow can’t even deal enough damage to be considered threatening and has had to wait until this patch to get a nice damage boost. Although the devs don’t believe these changes will make him “super threatening,” they will be enough to make players think twice about trying to solo him (I’m talking to you, Master Yi).
It will mean teams must work together to take him down. But that also means teams will have to communicate and actually work together, which is half the battle. If players talk more and broaden their map awareness, I call that a win.
4) Top lane (via Voidgrub spawn delay)
The top lane has always suffered in League. These players are left to their own devices, only to be pinged to help kill the Baron or run down to one of the many teamfights in the bot lane.
Voidgrubs spawn times are changing, with the devs hoping this move will see less objective trading and more “attention on [the] top side.” If possible, it could be a massive win, unless you enjoy being on your own island at the top. Then, this might not be a good thing because you’re going to see a fair bit more action.
5) Zyra, Zed, and Fiddlesticks’ Blood Moon glow-up
Whether my biased opinion shows or not, the Blood Moon skins for Zyra, Zed, and Fiddlesticks are stunning and a massive win for these champ mains. I will admit the Fiddlesticks one is scary too, but in a good way. And it’s nice to see more skins for this classic line because the lore is fairly unique. And now, look, Zed might be one of the most-banned League champs who doesn’t get to see the Rift all too often, but at least he gets a little something for being so comprehensively hated by players.
6) Please force Zac more effectively into the jungle
Even if he were getting buffed in Patch 14.8, Zac would still be losing, and the big reason for that is he’s not interesting to pilot, especially in the laning phase.
The League devs admitted he may not “technically [be] overpowered,” but he still has a high win rate in top and jungle. It’s a shame that all Zac got was a nerf to his health regen. Instead, he should have gotten more adjustments or a change to his skill set to make him enjoyable to play and to push him harder into his jungle role.
7) Mordekaiser’s ult is no longer QSS-able
Depending on who you ask, the Mordekaiser adjustments are sad to see his Ultimate will no longer be “QSS’able,” meaning it will no longer be cleansable. So, if you’re caught by a Mordekaiser ultimate, there is no escape but death—or survival, I suppose.
I’m sure Morde mains are chuckling at the few possible counterplays, while squishy champs, like ADCs, will avoid him like the plague if they can’t cleanse his ultimate with the QSS. Generally, I like to see the underdogs win, and I’m rooting for you all. But as I mostly play support, and given the free reign top laners will have, I hope the Cleanse Spell still works and that all squishy champs know how to take it and kite. Or run away. Preferably, all three.
8) Zeri? It’s more like zero
Like Zac, it’s a shame to see any Zeri nerfs. She rolled out too overpowered, got nerfed into oblivion, and now has been constantly tweaked to get back in the metagame without making her on par with Storm from X-Men.
Although she didn’t get a direct buff, the League developers are still nerfing her (despite her somewhat balanced win rate) because her core items were buffed last update, and she’s seen a resurgence in the pro meta. According to ProBuilds, the pro-League player tracker, she has an 18.3 percent pick rate and is the most picked ADC. But for us, everyday League players, the nerf to her health is a little extreme, especially if she’s about to be chased by Mordekaiser mains and squashed by Galio ultimates.
