Yuumi, high-value support in pro play with an 88.9% presence in LCK Summer 2022 playoffs and a 70.6% presence in LPL Summer 2022 playoffs (read more here), was intended to be nerfed in League of Legends patch 12.16.
Riot Games even justified their decision in the patch notes, acknowledging that “Yuumi has had a very high pick rate in professional play” because of her ability to pair well with meta bot lane champions and scale effectively into the late game.
However, one day after the update went live, the game developers went back to buff two other abilities, Prowling Projectile (Q) and her ultimate Final Chapter (R), making her stronger than before.
- Q base damage (unempowered) increased from 50/80/110/140/170/200 to 50/90/130/170/210/250
- Q base damage (empowered) increased from 60/100/140/180/220/260 (+2/3.2/4.4/5.6/6.8/8% of the target’s current health) to 60/110/160/210/260/310 (+3/4.2/5.4/6.6/7.8/9% of the target’s current health)
- Final Chapter (R) cooldown decreased from 130/110/90 seconds to 110/100/90 seconds
Zoomies’ bonus movement speed scaling has been reduced, but the base boost remains the same. Its cooldown was also raised from eight seconds to ten seconds at higher levels.
Riot Games’ objective with this conservative nerf was to make the ally she’s tied to a little more killable, as she’s presently giving them a little too much usefulness.
Even before the dust had settled, Summoner’s Rift Lead Designer Matt “Riot Phroxzon” Leung-Harrison announced today that the team had opted to release a micro patch to buff Yuumi, restoring “power back in a way that is not highly focused towards E after placing it in a better long term location.”
Q base damage was increased from 200 to 250, especially at higher levels. Q’s empowered damage, which grows harder based on the target’s current % health, will be more painful. Finally, at level six, Final Chapter (R), her huge AoE team combat tool, had its cooldown reduced by 20 seconds.
We recognize there’s a risk to the return of artillery Yuumi, but there aren’t a lot of great areas to buff
Riot Phroxzon
The community’s reaction on Twitter was very negative. Fabien “Chips” Culié, a French League of Legends shoutcaster, was unsatisfied with Riot Phroxzon’s response and demanded more, calling Yuumi a high-priority pick in the pro play who is also “the most irritating” in the current meta.