Prior to the official release of patch 12.16, League of Legends lead designer Matt Leung-Harrison has given players a preview of the changes coming in the update, which include nerfs to four of the strongest champions in pro play.
Leung-Harrison previously stated this patch would be the first of 2022 that focused mostly on tuning champions for the pro leagues instead of basing changes on the ranked ladder. Though this patch doesn’t have any drastic changes, more Worlds-focused changes will likely be coming in 12.17 and later in the year.
Today players got a more in-depth look at the beginning of the changes that the balance team has planned leading into Worlds. Though Leung-Harrison warned in his tweet that these figures might not be exactly what will come with the patch, here’s what to expect for the nerfs coming to four of the game’s 140 champions.
Zeri
As expected, Zeri will be receiving a decent nerf in this patch. She has continued to be a dominant force in pro play, and across the four top leagues her ban/pick rate is over 80%.
Here are the adjustments being made to Zeri this time around.
W – Ultrashock Laser
- AP Ratio: 60 > 40
Q – Burst Fire
- AD Ratio: 105-125% > 100-120%
Yuumi
Yuumi has been a top pick in pro play to go alongside Zeri and other champions like her, and these slight nerfs to the cat may result in a decline in her presence. Though these changes are small for patch 12.16, there is a good chance Yuumi could be nerfed more in the remaining patches until Worlds.
E – Zoomies
- MS: 20% (+6%/100AP) > 20% (+2%/100AP)
- CD: 12-8 > 12-10
Draven
Draven is a strong champion in the hands of certain players, but hasn’t dominated the meta like Zeri, Yuumi, and Poppy have this summer. Still, he will receive a small nerf this patch.
Q – Spinning Axe
- Base damage: 45-65 > 40-60
Poppy
The coming League nerfs to Poppy could certainly start conversations about a different approach to the jungle meta coming into Worlds, though again this might only be the beginning of the changes planned for her.
Q – Hammer Shock
- Monster cap: 50-170 > 30-150
