LoL Patch 14.18 – Worlds Patch!

September 6, 2024

LoL Esports

Now that the LoL Patch 14.17 has hit the live servers, it’s about time we see what changes are planned for Patch 14.18, the Worlds Patch!

LoL Patch 14.18 Crystalis Indomitus Nautilus

Image Credit: Riot Games

LoL Patch 14.18 – Getting Ready for Worlds

Patch 14.17 was officially released on August 28 and while the patch wasn’t massive in terms of changes, the update came with several tweaks to various champions. The goal was to nerf down some of the most powerful picks in professional play and some of the outliers in solo queue as well.

Additionally, Riot has been pushing to further adjust some of the key runes for marksmen champions which have dominated the meta in the higher parts of the ranked ladder.

Going into the next update, we might see more tweaks in the meta as Worlds 2024 is fast approaching. We haven’t gotten much indication of what kind of direction Riot wants to bring, but it’s unlikely we’ll see a big shift like it happened in previous years. So far, there are some item adjustments alongside quite a few champion changes to nerf down some of the most powerful picks, which you can check out in the section below.

Patch 14.18 Release Date

According to the official patch schedule, Patch 14.18 will be released on Wednesday, September 11. This will be the 18th patch out of the 24 updates planned for the year.

How will the upcoming patch impact the meta?

Based on the initial impression, it looks like Riot is trying to buff up some of the underperforming AP items while also nerfing the lifesteal ADC items early on. The champion changes are interesting, especially the Jarvan IV changes: the passive has been tweaked back to 8% current HP, which was the number J4 used to have when he was meta last year. Viego and Xin are getting buffed as we might see a resurgence of bruiser junglers.

Nasus, Leona, and Ziggs are mainly getting nerfed due to the increasing presence in the pro play meta so not too surprised to see them on the list. They all seem reasonable changes aside from Nasus: I wonder whether that will kill him once again.

That said, however, the role where I see the biggest amount of changes will be in mid: Aurora, Azir, and Corki have all been hit. The Emperor of Shurima is likely going to be off the radar at Worlds with the massive ultimate damage nerf. ADCs are finally getting pushed out of the mid lane, with Smolder getting tuned down alongside the Fleet Footwork rune nerf that should heavily decrease the presence of double marksmen team compositions.

Jinx is getting a small buff: I wonder whether she will get the usual buff treatment with Arcane season 2 coming in the next months. It doesn’t seem substantial but there might be teams willing to pick her.

In the meantime, find out the best champions for the current patch:

Patch 14.18 Tentative Changes

Champion changes in Patch 14.18

Ahri

E base damage: 80 – 200 ⇒ 80 – 240
E AP ratio: 60% ⇒ 75%

Aurora

R jump max distance: 450 ⇒ 250
R wall jump forgiveness: 700 ⇒ 450
R duration: 3 – 4 seconds ⇒ 2 – 3 seconds

Azir

W base damage per level: 2 – 77 (starts at level 10) ⇒ 5 – 45 (+3 damage at levels 10, 11, 12, 13 and -4, -11, -18, -25, -32 levels 14 – 18)
W AP ratio: 55% flat ⇒ 35% – 55%
R damage: 200 – 600 + 75% AP ⇒ 175 – 475 + 60% AP

Corki

Q damage: 70 – 270 ⇒ 70 – 250
R base damage: 80 – 280 ⇒ 80 – 240

Mini Gnar

Mini base AD: 57 ⇒ 60

Hwei

WW shield strength for allies: 50% ⇒ 75%

Ivern

E base damage: 85 – 245 ⇒ 80 – 240 ⇒ 75 – 235
E slow: 45% – 65% ⇒ 40% – 60%

Jarvan IV

P health ratio: 7% current HP ⇒ 8% current HP

Jax (buffs undecided)

R on-hit base damage: 60 – 160 ⇒ 60 – 180⇒ 70 – 170
R bonus armor per target hit: 15 – 65 ⇒ 15 – 80 ⇒ 25 – 75

Jayce

Melee Q slow: 30 – 55% ⇒ 35 – 60%
Ranged E haste: 30 – 55% ⇒ 35 – 60%

Jinx

AS growth: 1 ⇒ 1.4

Leona

Base armor: 47 ⇒ 43

Lillia

Passive monster cap: 70 – 100 ⇒ 65
R sleep duration: 2 – 2.5 seconds ⇒ 2 seconds

Lissandra

Q AP ratio: 85% ⇒ 75%

Lulu

Passive damage per bolt: 3 – 37 ⇒ 5 – 39

Malphite

Passive shield: 9% max HP ⇒ 10% max HP

Maokai

Q base damage: 65 – 265 ⇒ 65 – 245
E cooldown: 16 – 12 seconds ⇒ 18 – 14 seconds
E Brush duration: 30 + 2.5% bonus HP ⇒ 30 + 1.5% bonus HP

Miss Fortune

Base AD: 55 ⇒ 53

Nasus

E initial base damage: 55 – 215 ⇒ 50 – 170
E base damage per second: 11 – 43 ⇒ 10 – 34
E total base damage: 110 – 430 ⇒ 100 – 340

Rell

E initial move speed: 9% – 15% ⇒ 9% – 12%
Maximum E movement speed: 24 – 40% ⇒ 24 – 32%

Rumble

Q base damage: 80 – 180 + 110% AP + 6% – 10% max HP⇒ 60 – 180 + 100% AP + 6% – 10% max HP
E base damage: 60 – 160 ⇒ 50 – 150 (AP ratio unchanged)

Samira

Q damage: 0 – 20 (+85 – 125% AD) ⇒ 0 – 20 (+ 95 – 125% AD)

Shen

Passive shield: 47 – 101 + 12% bonus HP ⇒ 47 – 120 + 13% bonus HP

Smolder

Base health: 605 ⇒ 575
Q damage: 20 – 60 + 100% total AD + 15% AP ⇒ 15 – 55 + 100% total AD (AP ratio removed)
W glob damage: 50 – 170 ⇒ 45 – 165

Varus

Q AD Ratio: 150 – 190% ⇒ 130 – 170%
E AD Ratio: 110% ⇒ 100%

Q minimum damage: 50 – 150 ⇒ 45 – 145
Q maximum damage: 100 – 300 ⇒ 90 – 290

Viego

Base AD: 57 ⇒ 60
Q bonus monster damage: 20 ⇒ 15

Xin Zhao

Armor growth: 4.7 ⇒ 5
Q base damage per attack: 16 – 52 ⇒ 16 – 68 (maximum bonus damage: 48 – 156 ⇒ 48 – 204)

Zeri

Passive base damage: 90 – 200 + 1% – 15% max HP ⇒ 75 – 160 + 1% – 11% max HP
Damage scaling: Stat growth ⇒ linear (level 6: 116 + 4.3% ⇒ 110 + 3.9%, level 11: 147 + 8.2% ⇒ 125 + 6.9%, level 16: 184 + 12.9% ⇒ 150 + 9.8%)

Ziggs

Passive tower damage: 250% ⇒ 175%
50 – 400 + 125% Aé ⇒ 35 – 280 + 87.5% Aé

Item Changes

Bloodthirster

Life steal: 18% ⇒ 15%
Shield: 50 – 400 (levels 1-18) ⇒ 165 – 315 (levels 8-18)

Immortal Shieldbow

Shield: 320 – 720 ⇒ 400 – 700 for melee (320 – 560 for ranged)

Luden’s Companion

Cost: 2900 ⇒ 2850
Ability haste: 25 ⇒ 20
AP: 95 ⇒ 100

Shadowflame

Health threshold: 35% max HP ⇒ 40% max HP
Magic pen: 12 ⇒ 15
AP: 120 ⇒ 115
DoT bonus damage: 30% ⇒ 25%

Stormsurge

Damage threshold: 35% max HP ⇒ 25% max HP
Ranged damage: 90% ⇒ 100%
Move speed: 8% ⇒ 5%
Magic pen: 10 ⇒ 15

~~Trinity Force~~

Move speed: 20 ⇒ 30 (melee)/15 (ranged) ⇒ 20 (reverted)
Attack speed: 33% ⇒ 30% ⇒ 33% (reverted)

System changes

Fleet Footwork

Base heal: 5 – 100 ⇒ 10 – 130 (5 – 100 ⇒ 6 – 78 for ranged)
Minion healing: 20% (melee)/10% (ranged) ⇒ 15% flat
Melee move speed: 15% ⇒ 20% (ranged MS bonus unchanged)

Turret Bulwark

Permanent Resists per destroyed turret plate: 40 – 50
Temporary resists per destroyed plate for 20 seconds: 45/champion ⇒ 20/champion

Turrets

Pre-5 minute damage reduction: 75% ⇒ 85%

Upcoming skins

Attorney Azir – 1350 RP
Janitor Thresh – 1350 RP
Crystalis Indomitus Nautilus – 100 ME