Over the course of the next two patches, League of Legends’ omnipresent alternate game mode, ARAM, will be receiving its most comprehensive batch of changes in recent memory.
In its 10(!) years of existence, the premise of the game mode has always stayed the same: one lane, two teams, five champions each, no recalls, and constant fighting.
But balancing it has been a different story altogether. Despite relative success in constant champion-specific levers that the team has pulled to keep certain overpowered characters in check, Riot developers are trying more broad strokes, and systemic changes to increase the longevity and health of the game mode.
On top of that, slight changes are coming to the Howling Abyss map itself that should provide some welcome twists to an old classic.
Here’s every change coming to ARAM in League of Legends.
Patch 12.22
Resource Regeneration
- Akali, Kennen, Lee Sin, and Zed will regenerate Energy 20% faster
Tenacity
- Akali, Ekko, Elise, Evelynn, Fizz, Kassadin, Katarina, Kayn, Kha’Zix, LeBlanc, Pyke, Qiyana, Rek’Sai, Rengar, Talon, and Zed will have 20% additional Tenacity.
Ability Haste
- Ashe will have -20 base Ability Haste.
Patch 12.23
Champion Changes
- Omnivamp and Lifesteal on minions will be reduced by 50%
- Damage dealt by champions (non-ultimate) from 1,000-2,000 units away will be reduced by 15-30 percent, sca (currently flat 15 percent damage reduction for any non-ultimate instance over 1,000 units away)
Map Changes
- Hexgates will spawn at the beginning of each game and link to the outermost tower on each team’s side
- When that tower falls, the Hexgate’s exit point will be on the inhibitor tower
- Players can use their enemies’ Hexgates
- When towers fall, they will leave behind a pile of rubble that will act as unpassable terrain, blocking off half of the usual passage around fallen towers
- A new patch of brush large enough for all five team members will be on the right side of the map
- The pixel brush between towers will be slightly larger
Quality of Life
- Players will be able to see who purchased their team a Battle Boost.
- Parameters are coming so that last-second Battle Boosts don’t take unwillingly change a player’s skin without giving them enough time to react if they want to opt out.
- Players will be able to see which champions will give them a Hextech Chest if they earn an S on them.
ARAM Clash
- Eight-team bracket, three matches guaranteed
- Free to enter
- Registration opens on Dec. 5, games played on Dec. 10-11.
- Each player gets two rerolls per game.
- ARAM Clash icon for all participants
League Patch 12.22 is set to hit live servers on Wednesday, Nov. 16, with patch 12.23 doing the same three weeks later on Wednesday, Dec. 7.
