League of Legends patch 25.05 preview: Lane swap adjustments, Skarner nerfs, and more

The League of Legends patch 25.05 preview highlights substantial modifications anticipated to conclude the lane swap meta. In addition, several champions that have recently dominated the Rift will face nerfs. The changes were presented by the Lead Gameplay Designer of LoL, Matt Leung-Harrison (@RiotPhroxzon on X), providing a comprehensive analysis of the forthcoming patch.

This article highlights all the details in the League of Legends patch 25.05 preview.

Note: This article will be updated with more information about the League of Legends patch 25.05 preview when available.

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Champion adjustments in League of Legends patch 25.05 preview

All buffs, nerfs, and adjustments coming to the LoL champions in patch 25.05 are shown below:

Champion buffs in League of Legends patch 25.05 preview

1) Aphelios

• Attack speed ratio: .640 → .658 (base unchanged)

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2) Dr. Mundo

• Base HP: 613 → 640

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3) Seraphine

• Q maximum champion damage amp: 60% → 75%

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4) Zed

• E damage: 65-165 + 65% bonus AD→ 70-170 + 80% bonus AD

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Champion nerfs in League of Legends patch 25.05 preview

1) Ambessa

• E damage per hit: 40-140 + 60% bonus AD → 40-120 + 60% bonus AD

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2) Ashe

• R damage: 250/450/650 → 200/400/600

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3) Aurora

• E damage: 70-230 + 80% AP → 65-225 + 70% AP

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4) Cho'Gath

• Q Damage: 80-340 → 80-320
• W Damage: 80-300 → 80-280
• E Max HP Damage: 3% → 2.5%-3.5%

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5) Elise

• Human Q damage: 40-160 + 4% current HP → 40-140 + 4% current HP
• Spider Q damage: 60-180 + 8% missing HP → 50-170 + 8% missing HP

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6) K'Sante

• P mark damage: 20 + 1-2% max HP → 12 + 1-2% max HP
• W All Out bonus true damage: 10-100% → 10-80%

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7) Skarner

• Q Max HP Damage: 10% → 8%
• Q Slow Duration: 1.25s → 1s
• E Cooldown: 20-16 → 22-18

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8) Yorick (Jungle)

• R monster damage cap: 100 → 50

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Champion adjustments in League of Legends patch 25.05 preview

1) Poppy

• HP growth: 104 → 110
• P shield: 13/15.5/18% max HP at 1/7/13 → 11-20% max HP (linear)
• E damage: 100-260 + 100% bonus AD → 80-240 + 120% bonus AD

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System adjustments in League of Legends patch 25.05 preview

All upcoming system changes are highlighted below:

System buffs in League of Legends patch 25.05 preview

1) Staff of Flowing Water (Item)

• Buff duration: 4s → 6s

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2) Sixth Sense (Rune)

• Cooldown: 275/350 → 250 (Split Removed)

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3) Unflinching (Rune)

• Armor and MR: 2-10 → 6-12

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4) Yun Tal Wildarrows (Item)

• Crit per stack: .2% → .4% melee / .2% ranged

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System nerfs in League of Legends patch 25.05 preview

1) Axiom Arcanist (Rune)

• Ultimate Amp: 14% → 12%
• AoE Mod: 9% 8%

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2) Lane swaps

• If a team has no Junglers, this never fires
• With one Jungler, two non-Junglers in top/mid
• With 2 Junglers, any two champions in the top/mid Lane Swap zone cover the lane from the enemy Inhibitor to the allied outer turret and reach 500u into the jungle
• Warning ping and message show when you are about to trigger a swap
• Warning messages repeat while triggering Lane Swap Duration: 0:00-5:00 → 1:30-3:30
• Turret damage reduction: 50% → 95% (only when swap detected)
• Defending champion gains all gold/XP from lane minions, regardless of the last hitting
• Defending tower executes minions in one hit
• Offending champions receive 50% less XP/Gold from Lane Minions
• Buff/debuff lingers for the 20s in the top lane, 6s in the mid lane
• [Top only] Defending tower executes enemy champions in one hit
• Defending champion takes 50% less damage under the top turret

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In the post, Matt Leung-Harrison indicated that the forthcoming patch will prioritize the professional scene, particularly concerning the inaugural international tournament of the year — First Stand 2025.

Significantly, the adjustments will have a substantial impact on the lane swap strategies. The removal of mechanics such as Deep Proxying and diverse lane shift strategies is on the horizon.

In addition, the mid-penalty duration will be reverted to 3:30, and players will be provided with improved notifications regarding this change.

Matt Leung-Harrison addressed the situation by saying:

"Please don't bother trying to grief people in soloQ with this, we will detect this and punish you - We're also adding a warning area to inform players that they will enter the zone right before they're penalized (it is also very loud if triggered)."

Riot Games is set to implement nerfs on Ashe, anticipating a significant shift in the ADC meta, as the lane-swap antics are expected to come to an end. These forthcoming adjustments aim to enhance the dynamic of the meta in preparation for First Stand 2025.

The League of Legends patch 25.05 patch will hit the live server on March 5, 2025.

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Check out more LoL news and updates below:

• Feats of Strength in League of Legends
• Atakhan in League of Legends Season 15
• League of Legends LoLdle answers (Tuesday, February 25, 2025)