It’s patch 12.5, beelieve it!
This time around, we’ll bee doing a relatively light patch! There will bee some nerfs to stronger champs like Ahri and Gwen, while some champs like Samira and Seraphine support will bee getting some buffs. We’re also taking some of the sting out of Hullbreaker’s power for ranged champions and, most importantbee, we also have some additions to the Bee skinline this patch!
As a heads up, patch 12.5 will bee live for one month, with 12.6 going out on March 30. Don’t worry though, we’ll still beekeeping an eye out for any urgent issues that may pop up. Read more about why in this article here!. And, if you need a refresher on the patch release dates, check out our Patch Schedule for 2022 here!
Have a bad case of apiphobia? Then come check out the first patch of Neon Nights at the TFT patch notes here, where the only things buzzing in the night are Silco's schemes and robotic dreams!
We're taking care of some urgent mid-patch balances before we go AFK for a week.
While the changes in 12.5 succeeded in making Yi’s on-hit builds more optimal than his lethality builds, they actually resulted in a large buff to on-hit with roughly no change to lethality-overpowering Yi as a result. We’re tuning Yi down with some stronger nerfs this time, but ensuring that we’re pulling power from across his kit so as to not dramatically impact his gameplay.
W base damage decreased; mana cost increased. E mana cost increased.
While we’re happy that players are charmed by Ahri’s refresh in 12.3, she’s been a little too strong since. We’re pulling some power out of her early game to reduce her overall strength.
Passive damage against monsters decreased. E bonus attack range decreased.
Gwen has been shredding up top and jungle in Pro play for some time now. So we’re snipping off some of her power so her weaknesses are more apparent and her strength as a flex pick is reduced.
W full stack bonus damage on basic attacks increased.
Kennen hasn’t had much presence in top lane, so we’re giving him some small buffs to shock the current meta.
Q damage and bonus crit damage decreased; each mark now applies on-hit effects; on-hit cooldown reduction now scales with Ability Haste. E and R now pause during his Q and both can now be activated during Q. E base damage decreased late.
Master Yi’s Duskblade builds have been a bit strong recently, but more importantly are both frustrating to play against and unhealthy for gameplay. We’re decreasing his Q's synergy with lethality and Ability Haste and instead adding on-hit scaling so the Wuju Bladesman is forced to show himself while fighting.
W passive movespeed on respawn increased.
We're giving Miss Fortune a quality of life update for struttier spawns.
Health growth and armor growth increased. R cooldown decreased.
For a thrillseeker, the Desert Rose hasn’t been very daring recently. We’re ramping up her durability over time so she can more comfortably stack her Style in big late-game teamfights before getting focused down.
W mana cost decreased late; cooldown increased early and decreased late; shield decreased and now scales with rank; ally shields now equal Seraphine's; heal scaling adjusted. E cooldown decreased early.
Seraphine's been enjoying the mid lane limelight, but it's clear that players want to share her stage in bot lane, too. We're introducing some buffs to her support kit without turning the volume up too high on her solo performances in mid.
E cooldown increased. R invulnerability duration decreased.
Xin’s a staple in Pro play right now, in part due to the consistent and reliable engage of his E combined with the safety of his R. We're targeting some of that engage power while also ensuring his ultimate doesn’t provide him with too much of a safety net.
Ranged Hullbreaker users have been taking over top lane, so we’re decreasing its benefits for them. Hullbreaker should still feel like an option for ranged champs, but without overshadowing melee users.
The Mythic Content Overhaul begins next patch! 12.5 is your last chance to spend your 2020 Prestige Points! Unlike Gemstones, Prestige Points won't convert to Mythic Essence. USE 'EM NOW IF YOU'VE GOT 'EM!
Also, as mentioned last patch, once patch 12.5 releases, you'll no longer be able to claim OG ownership of 2018 and 2019 Prestige skins by obtaining them from loot drops or rerolls. The skins will still appear in drops and rerolls during 12.5, but only those who earned them pre-12.5 will receive a special version of these skins. Prestige and Gemstone skins will be removed from loot drops and rerolls when the Mythic Content Overhaul begins.
Team formation for the first weekend of the Freljord Cup starts on March 14, and the tournaments are on March 19 and 20! Team formation for the second weekend starts on March 28, and the tournaments will be on April 2 and 3 during patch 12.6.
Based on your feedback, an updated look for ranked borders will be hitting the loading screen in patch 12.5. In addition, Ranked divisions will be visible in game lobbies, hovercards, loading screens, and profiles.