With the arrival of League of Legends’ newest champion, Hwei, Riot Games is actively fine-tuning his kit to ensure a balanced introduction.
The Visionary is undergoing significant adjustments, with a total of 11 nerfs aimed at tempering his burst potential and promoting a more strategic casting. Champion designer Myles “Emizery” Salholm, addressing the Hwei subreddit, emphasized the goal of fostering greater mid-to-late game aggression through these changes.
LoL champion Hwei nerfs pre-debut
P – Signature of the Visionary
- Base damage reduced from 35-200 to 35-180.
- AP ratio increased from 25% to 30%.
QQ – Devastating Fire
- Base damage reduced from 60/95/130/165/200 to 60/90/120/150/180.
- Max health damage reduced from 4/5/6/7/8% to 4/4.5/5/5.5/6%.
- AP ratio reduced from 70% to 60%.
QW – Severing Bolt
- AP ratio reduced from 30% to 25%, with a 90% peak to an 87.5% peak.
- Missing health bonus increased from 200/225/250/275/300% to 200/237.5/275/312.5/350%.
QE – Molten Fissure
- Damage per second AP ratio reduced from 30% to 25%.
WW – Pool of Reflection
- Shield base amount increased from 80/100/120/140/160 to 90/110/130/150/170.
E – Subject: Torment
- Cooldown reduced from 17/16/15/14/13 seconds to 15/14/13/12/11 seconds.
EQ – Grim Visage
- AP Ratio reduced from 70% to 55%.
EW – Gaze of the Abyss
- AP ratio reduced from 70% to 55%.
- Root duration reduced from 1.25/1.5/1.75/2/2.25 seconds to 1.2/1.4/1.6/1.8/2 seconds.
EE – Crushing Maw
- AP ratio reduced from 70% to 55%.
- Now “bumps up” units in the center.
R – Spiraling Despair
- Damage-over-time AP ratio reduced from 10% to 5%, with 30% total to 15% total.
Among the adjustments, Hwei’s late-game base damage on his passive is being reduced, but to offset this, there is an increase in the AP ratio. Various abilities are receiving substantial damage nerfs, encompassing all three Subject: Disaster spells and all three Subject: Torment spells. Notably, his ultimate ability, Spiraling Despair, is also experiencing a significant reduction in its AP ratio.
However, to enhance Hwei’s utility and support capabilities for his team, a couple of buffs are introduced. His W spell sees a base shielding increase of 10 at all levels. Additionally, his E spellbook benefits from a reduced cooldown at all levels, allowing for more frequent access.
While these changes are currently on the PBE and are subject to further adjustments before Hwei’s official release, players can anticipate embracing one of the most intricate and artistically driven champions to grace the Summoner’s Rift on Wednesday, December 6th.