League of Legends patch 12.18 preview: Lee Sin buffs, Miss Fortune nerfs, and Udyr adjustments

League of Legends patch 12.18 will introduce the final set of updates focused on the 2022 Worlds Championship. It will bring changes to the MOBA with the professional scene in mind.

The tweaks that are scheduled to make their way to the live servers next week will look to iron out some of the rough edges in the game.

Riot Games has provided fans with a small preview of the changes that they can expect from patch 12.18.

Riot Phroxzon said in a tweet:

“12.18 is our final set of changes for Worlds. Most champions are only receiving small nudges, especially if we suspect recent changes have overshot. We've made a significant number of changes since the playoff patches, so we don't want to completely upend the meta.”

One of the biggest highlights of League of Legends patch 12.18 will be the buffs that will be making their way to Ashe and Lee Sin. While Miss Fortune and Hecarim have their names on the nerf list, Udyr and Maokai are set for more adjustments in the patch.

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League of Legends patch 12.18 preview champion list

Before moving on to the list of champions who have their names in the preview, it’s important to note that the names mentioned are tentative.

Riot Games will be testing them out in the League of Legends PBE before shipping the updates out with an official update. The changes mentioned here may not reflect entirely on the final patch that is expected to drop next week.

List of champions and the changes they will receive in the upcoming patch

1) Champion Buffs

• Ashe (Marksman)
• Thresh
• Lee Sin
• Nasus

Ashe has had a much higher pick rate in the support role than as an ADC, which is the role that she was intended for. Riot Games will be buffing her potential as a marksman in 12.18.

Lee Sin has seen a very poor pick rate in the recent professional meta. The developers would like to see him make his way back to the competitive stage at the 2022 Worlds Championship.

2) Champion Nerfs

• Miss Fortune
• Kalista
• Hecarim
• Kayn (Rhaast)
• Lulu
• Nocturne

Riot Games may have gone overboard with the recent set of Miss Fortune buffs and will be looking to tone down her kit considerably in patch 12.18. The developers will make her more balanced before League of Legends’ biggest international event kicks off on September 29, 2022.

Hecarim will also see some nerfs after the most recent set of adjustments. It will be interesting to see the type of changes that Riot will introduce to his kit.

3) Champion Adjustments

• Maokai (role adjustment)
• Udyr (Build adjustments)

Maokai will receive more role adjustments, as Riot Games might look to push him towards the jungle role. The reworked Udyr will also be receiving changes this time around, and the developers will be looking to introduce more adjustments to his build path.

League of Legends patch 12.18 is expected to drop next week on September 21, 2022.