The League of Legends patch preview for Patch 13.19, which will be used for the 2023 World Championship, has been released. This patch brings a surprising influx of buffs that will greatly impact the tournament.
Riot Phroxzon, the lead designer on the League balance team, has given fans and pro players a sneak peek at what to expect from this year’s Worlds patch. The focus of this patch is mostly on buffs rather than nerfs, bringing back former dominant picks at a crucial time.
In Patch 13.19, Gangplank is the only top laner receiving a buff. Despite a refocus on his crit-centric build, he is still considered somewhat weak overall. Lee Sin, a popular jungle pick in pro play, is also receiving buffs as previous changes were not enough to make him competitive with other aggressive junglers. Nunu and Willump are getting increased damage to enhance their snowball-rolling capabilities and encourage more aggression and roaming.
The mid lane meta will see some diversification to prevent AD carries and assassins from dominating. Galio, Syndra, and Lissandra will receive buffs to counter champions like Tristana, Naafiri, and Talon. Ziggs, who has a low win rate in the mid lane, will also be buffed, making him a stronger choice for ADCs looking for alternatives to traditional marksmen.
Jhin and Twitch, traditional ADCs, will receive buffs to bring them back into the spotlight after being overshadowed by other champions. Pyke, a support champion, will also gain newfound power in the bot lane.
Two existing items, Randuin’s Omen and Seeker’s Armguard, will be buffed to address the resurgence of AD champions in the mid lane. These changes aim to provide better options for players facing champions like Tristana.
All of these buffs, along with other significant changes, will be tested on League’s PBE before being implemented in the live servers next week. The 2023 League World Championship will begin on October 10th in South Korea and will utilize Patch 13.19 throughout the tournament.
| Champion | Role | Buffs |
|---|---|---|
| Gangplank | Top Lane | Buffed due to overall weakness |
| Lee Sin | Jungle | Additional buffs to increase competitiveness |
| Nunu and Willump | Jungle | Increased damage for more aggression and roaming |
| Galio | Mid Lane | Buffed to counter mid-range mages |
| Syndra | Mid Lane | Buffed to counter AD carries and assassins |
| Lissandra | Mid Lane | Buffed to counter AD carries and assassins |
| Ziggs | Mid Lane | Buffed to improve win rate |
| Jhin | ADC | Buffed to increase viability in pro play |
| Twitch | ADC | Buffed to increase viability in pro play |
| Pyke | Support | Buffed to have a greater impact in the bot lane |
| Randuin’s Omen | Item | Buffed to address AD champions in the mid lane |
| Seeker’s Armguard | Item | Buffed to address AD champions in the mid lane |
Source: DOTESPORTS
