An extensive set of updates is coming to League of Legends in Patch 12.3, specifically targeted at the fighter class. Many of these changes are neither in the buff nor the nerf column, and more details should emerge on Tuesday.
Riot Phlox, one of the designers on the team, said in a tweet the intention is to push fighter/bruiser style champions away from health as a stat as much as they are now.
Season 11 was dominated by the Goredrinker. Its various iterations drew similarly fluctuating levels of ire from the community, mainly for its active ability, but it’s been a near-staple for bruisers, as well as some assassins. Sterak’s Gage has also been an auto-build item for the class due to its Lifeline passive and the massive shield it gives upon dropping below 30 percent health.
Turbo Chemtank has reared its head again after half a season in the dark, most recently showing up as the linchpin in an S-tier Akali build of all places. The changes to the item might address the interaction that makes it tick on her, but Turbo Chemtank on the whole has been almost invisible at the highest level since the middle of Season 11.
As far as underused items, Trinity Force, Black Cleaver, and to an extent Maw of Malmortius will get some sprucing up. With health being the alleged concern, these items might be the recipients of some indirect buffs as their identities change as far as their relation to the stat.
Divine Sunderer, Death’s Dance, Ravenous Hydra, and Blade of the Ruined King are set to receive changes as well, along with components Hexdrinker, which builds into Maw of Malmortius, and Heathbound Axe, which builds into Strikebreaker, Wit’s End, and Trinity Force.
Changes will likely come in subsequent patches to mitigate the swings that Riot is taking at an entire class’s worth of items, and probably to the champions that wield them as well.
Ahri has been one of the game’s most iconic champions since its launch, and Principal Character Designer Riot August shared the tentative changes coming in her “refresh” in 12.3.
According to yet another designer on the team, Blake Smith, Nami is likely getting a small change to her passive. The Tidecaller is extremely powerful right now, and has her place in the meta as one of the most powerful enchanters in the game. The changes were originally tested as “medium scope” before dialing them back.
Patch 12.3 is scheduled to release on Wednesday, Feb. 2.
