The League of Legends Patch 13.4 preview has arrived on Feb. 13, and with it, a mass of changes are coming to both the game’s lineup of champions, as well as a handful of systems and items. A total of 20 champions will receive direct changes, with 11 getting buffed and another nine receiving nerfs.
Among the nine champions set to be nerfed in the patch, according to Riot Phroxon, who posted the plans on Twitter, the majority of them are junglers.
Maokai, Elise, Amumu, Udyr, and Jarvan IV are all on the table to be nerfed in League’s next patch. The only other champion to be getting a balance change this patch will be Viego, who’s set to be buffed. Beyond the five junglers receiving nerfs, the other four champions on the chopping block are Samira, Jax, Anivia, and Azir.
No direct buffs or nerfs are scheduled for Aurelion Sol in Patch 13.4, who has been tearing up the solo queue scene ever since his rework dropped on live servers several days ago. In one patch, the Star Forger has seen his play-rate jump from less than one percent to 16 percent in high-Elo games following the rework. Riot is likely waiting to see how the champion affects pro play before making any serious changes to him, though.
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Another set of champions—particularly at the support position—are going to likely feel indirect power decreases when nerfs to items such as Spellthief’s Edge and Spectral Sickle also hit in Patch 13.4. Those nerfs are likely targeted at the ADC-as-Support meta that’s been popping up in pro games in recent weeks.
Should any champions get nerfed too heavily from these indirect item changes, Riot will most likely give them a compensatory buff in a future patch.
Perhaps the biggest system nerf will be coming to the experience League players gain from kills. While no specific numbers have been made public just yet, Riot does intend to nerf overall XP gained from kills, as well as the amount of “comeback experience” champions earn from kills when they’re behind in a game.
League Patch 13.4 will go live on Feb. 23, according to the patch schedule.
