LoL Arena Game Mode reveals First-ever Big Changes coming to PBE servers

League dev Madness Heroo released a comprehensive list of forthcoming adjustments for League’s new game mode, Arena, including buffs and nerfs to a number of champions, items, and the mode’s signature mechanic: augments.

The new Arena game mode in League of Legends is an entirely new mode even for old players. However, with the addition of a new mode, additional balance issues are bound to develop. Riot has gathered data from Arena players on the League PBE to inform all of the changes that are being implemented.

League of Legends Arena Game Mode Changes

Items & Class Balance

• Ranged Champion Stat Bonuses:
  • AS: 15% >>> 20%
  • Haste: 15>>> 20
  • MS: 15>>> 20
• Mages Battle/DoT mages are overperforming. others are struggling slightly.
  • Sorc Shoes: 22 Mpen >>> 20
  • Void Staff: 45% MPen >>> 40%
  • Liandry’s: 80 AP >>> 70 AP
  • Demonic Embrace: 1.3% ranged burn >>> 1%
  • Compensation buffs aimed at for Artillery Mages and AP assassins
    • Crown of the Shattered Queen: 90 AP >>> 100
    • Lich Bane: 15 Haste >>> 20, 8% MS >>> 10% MS
    • Hextech Rocketbelt: 250 HP >>> 400 HP
    • Night Harvester: 300 HP >>> 400 HP
• Enchanters: Moonstone has strong use cases, other mythics are lacking.
  • Echoes of Helia/Shurelya’s Reverie: +100 Health and +10 Ability Haste
• Marksmen: Bork/Rageblade users are strong. crits struggling to keep up in comparison.
  • Blade of the Ruined King: 12%/9% current health damage on-hit >>> 11%/8%
  • Rageblade: 50% AS >>> 40%
  • Galeforce/Infinity Edge/Navori Quickblades: +5 AD
• Starter ltems: Guardian’s Dirk is intended to be a very strong item for it’s users, but the current passive is so strong it’s overshadowing other items and giving Ult resets too freely.
  • Guardian’s Dirk: 50% increased plant effects >>> 25%
  • Guardian’s Blade: 250 HP >>> 300
  • Guardian’s Hammer: 25 AD >>> 30, 9% Lifesteal >>> 10%
• Evenshroud: 20 Ability Haste >>> 10

Augment Tuning

• Circle of Death (will be in on Tuesday’s deploy):
  • Now procs off regen (previously this was special cased for only Mundo)
  • Heal to damage conversion: 50% >>> 40%
• Nerfs
  • Scoped Weapons: 250/150 Range >>> 200/100 Range
  • Shrink Ray: 20% Damage Reduction >>> 15%
  • Warmup Routine: 30% bonus damage over 10s >>> 24% over 12s
  • Willing Sacrifice: Current Health drained and converted to shield: 40% >>> 30%
  • Thread the Needle: 30% pen >>> 25%
  • Fallen Aegis.
    • Shield Duration: 15s >>> 12s
    • Shield Amount: 75-500 (based on level >>> 50-350)
• Buffs
  • Frost Wraith: Root every 8s >>> 7s
  • Deft: 40% AS >>> 50%
  • Typhoon: 20% damage >>> 30%
  • Back to Basics:
    • 25% bonuses >>> 35%
    • 50 Haste >>> 60 Haste
  • Thief’s Gloves
    • 20% bonus stats and item damage >>> 30%
  • Evocation: 40% healing >>> 60%
  • Dive Bomber 20% max HP damage >>>25%

Champion Tuning

• Nerfs
  • Taric
    • Q
      • Base heal 25 >>> 20
      • Heal AP Ratio 0.15 >>> 0.1
      • Heal HP Ratio 0.1 >>> 0.075
    • E
      • Has -30 ability haste
  • Annie (will be in on Tuesday’s deploy)
    • +5% damage taken
    • -5% damage dealt
  • Heimerdinger
    • Q
      • Base Damage: 7-23 >>> 6-18
      • Base Damage Beam: 40-120 >>> 30-90
    • RQ
      • Base Damage: 80-120 >>> 70-100
      • Base Damage Beam: 100-180 >>> 90-160
  • Kayn
    • 30 passive stacks per round >>> 25
    • R damage
      • Slayer Max HP Base Damage: 15% >>> 10%
      • Slayer Max HP Damage per 100 AD: 13% >>> 8%
  • Shaco
    • W fear duration: 0.5-1.55 >>> 0.5-1s
  • Syndra: 15 stacks per round >>> 10 stacks per round
  • Teemo
    • R
      • Slow: 30/40/50% >>> 20/30/40%
      • Total Damage: 200/325/450 (+55% AP) >>> 150/250/350 (+45% AP)
• Buffs
  • Nunu Q
    • Base Heal 65-185 >>> 85-285
    • Heal is no longer reduced against champions
    • Champion Base Damage: 60-220 >>> 100-340
  • Yorick Q: now spawns a grave in a random area within 600 range every 6 seconds

Several champions were either boosted or nerfed in PBE notes, with roles being targeted for revisions rather than individual champions. Prior to the launch, all ranged champions will have increased attack speed, haste, and movement speed.

Certain mage-centric items, including the Void Staff, Sorcerer Shoes, and Liandry’s Torment, are being nerfed, with magic pen being a priority.

HP bonuses for items like Hextech Rocketbelt and Night Harvester have been boosted. Both Echoes of Helia and Shurelya’s Reverie are being boosted for Enchanters in order to fight fairly with Moonstone Renewer, which, according to Riot, has been a go-to choice for the role in Arena.

In addition, 13 augments will see obvious balance adjustments in the forthcoming PBE update, with six being nerfed and seven being buffed. Augments are an important component of the LoL Arena experience, and Riot is working hard to ensure that they are balanced before the game mode’s formal release.

Players should anticipate further balancing tweaks to hit the PBE before then. LoL’s Arena mode will be available on July 20th, in conjunction with the game’s summer event, Soul Fighter.