The durability update flipped League of Legends on its head
Because adjustment to these large-scale patches is typically a prolonged process of trial and error, many people were taken aback by the 2022 midseason Durability Update. The May 25 update dealt with extreme damage and healing, ultimately allowing for skill expression and outplay possibilities. Following the first modifications, numerous updates were released with small Durability changes, forcing players to continually adapt to the meta with each patch.
Simply put, these significant adjustments shifted League’s meta and left more questions than answers.
Longer matches and teamfights
The huge update in Patch 12.10, which increase basic health, health per level, armor per level, and magic resistance per level, have helped increase the length of matches and team fights.
Matches have been significantly slowed since the release of the Durability Update, with an average length of more than 30 minutes. With more time, each side has a far greater timespan to shift the tides and take control of the game.
Also, as a result of the durability updates, assassins have become out-of-meta, giving away the game’s one-shot potential, allowing the community to flawlessly demonstrate their tricky technical abilities, teamfighting competence, and overall game comprehension.
Unstable healing and shielding
For some years, League has struggled with healing and shielding. The 2021 season has healing under control, with significant Grievous Wounds debuffs, thanks to entirely redesigned items and systems.
However, as Riot rebalanced the whole game around the Durability Update, Grievous Wounds took a significant impact. Although Riot has worked to negate both healing and shielding, there are still a number of overpowering champions with such buffs, such as Aatrox, Irelia, Yuumi… Riot, fortunately, has addressed this issue and will make significant changes sooner or later.
Contested objectives
Although the durability update underlined the need for dragon buffs, team composition balance, and effective teamfighting, Patch 12.14, concentrated on elemental drakes.
In other words, these drake buffs resulted in prolonged drake-oriented teamfights, particularly late in the game, and dragon grouping as the primary win condition. With that in mind, there has never been a greater demand for exceptionally competent junglers who can cleverly secure disputed dragons.
Ultimately, the durability update has altered how League is played, as well as how the meta has affected that playstyle.