Updated on August 17, 11:41 a.m. (GMT+8): Riot Phroxzon posted new updates to the patch, cutting Vladimir, adding Zyra. Additional details posted by Spideraxe on Twitter have also been included.
According to Summoner’s Rift Lead Designer Matt “Riot Phroxzon” Leung-Harrison, League of Legends patch 12.16 onward will be geared toward balancing the meta for the upcoming 2022 World Championship starting in September.
However, since some teams will still be competing in the playoffs on patch 12.16, expect more major changes to be implemented in the following patch 12.17 instead.
Riot Phroxzon posted the LoL patch 12.16 preview on Twitter, and explained that the balance team is “looking to tap down a few outliers” this patch. Specifically, they’re looking to nerf Diana’s tank build while buffing her AP build path.
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League of Legends patch 12.16 preview
Planned champion buffs
- Tristana
- Zoe
- Irelia
- Caitlyn
- Kai’Sa
- Jayce
- Malphite
- Zyra
Tristana
- Q attack speed increased from 50%-110% to 65%-125%
Zoe
- E base damage increased from 60-220 to 70-230
- E AP ratio increased from 40% to 45%
Irelia
- Armor growth increased from 4.2 to 4.7
- Base magic resist increased from 28 to 30
Caitlyn
- Passive AD ratio against champs increased from 60%-110% to 60%-120%
- R damage is now increased by 0%-25% based on crit chance
Kai’Sa
- Passive base damage increased from 4-16 to 5-23
- Passive base damage per stack increased from 1-8 to 1-12
- Q AP ratio increased from 25% to 30%
- R AP ratio increased from 90% to 120%
Jayce
- Base armor increased from 22 to 24
- Melee Q bonus AD ratio increased from 120% to 130%
- R damage bonus AD ratio increased from 25% to 30%
Malphite
- Passive cooldown reduced from 10-6 seconds to 8 – 6
- W cooldown reduced from 12 seconds flat to 12-10 seconds
Zyra
- E post-cast lockout adjusted from 0.15-0.4 seconds to 0.15 seconds flat
Planned champion nerfs
- Zeri
- Yuumi
- Draven
- Poppy
Zeri
- Passive bonus MS while shielded reduced from 10% to 7%
- Q base damage increased from 8-20 to 11-23
- Q AD ratio reduced from 105%-125% AD to 100% to 120%
- W AP ratio reduced from 60% to 40%
Yuumi
- E movement speed decreased from 20% (+6% per 100AP) to 20% (+2% per 100AP)
- E CD increased from 12-8 to 12-10 seconds
Draven
- Q base damage decreased from 45-55 to 40-60
Poppy
- Q damage per hit vs monsters reduced from 50-170 to 30-150
Planned champion adjustments
Diana
- Passive base damage reduced from 20-250 to 20-220
- Passive AP ratio increased from 50% to 55%
- E AP ratio increased from 45% to 55%
Planned system buffs
Evenshroud
- Bonus damage increased from 9% to 10%
- Duration increased from 4 to 5 seconds
On patch 12.15, Zeri is currently the most picked AD carry across major regions with an 81% presence in Season 12, according to Games of Legends’ database at the time of writing.
She’s so strong that she’s been banned much more than picked — 408 times compared to 195. Many pros have also gotten pentakills on this champion in Spring and Summer, including Gen.G’s Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk and Evil Geniuses’ Kyle “Danny” Sakamaki.
Yuumi is another champion that has been banned twice as much as she’s been picked, with a 43% presence. Pros have averaged a positive 57% win rate on this champion, which is commendable considering that you only need one hand to play her.
While Draven hasn’t had the same impact in pro play, he currently holds a positive 51.39% win rate in solo queue at Platinum rank and above, according to U.GG. This is comparable to reworked Sivir’s positive 51.87% win rate. Alongside Twitch, they’ve been the top-tier AD carries thriving in the current meta.
Riot Phroxon’s patch preview Tweet can be viewed here.
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