League of Legends is already looking ahead to the new year, as the 2023 Preseason officially begins now. Several elements of this patch were released in beta about a month ago, but now they’re refined, tested, and out for the whole world to see. It’s a big patch, to put it lightly, that includes big changes to a few heroes, a complete overhaul of part of the map, and systems that make the game a much more welcoming place.
We’ll tell you all about the biggest changes, so you can head into battle armed with knowledge.
The return of Chemtech - League of Legends
A mix of alchemy and machinery, Chemtech is coming back in a big way with this update. Most notable is the Chemtech Drake, which has been massively improved to encourage careful aggressive plays. When you kill a Chemtech Drake your team will gain a stacking buff that rants 5% Tenacity and 5% Heal and Shield power. On top of that, you’ll get Chemtech Soul, which will make you 10% more resistant to damage and deal 10% more damage when you’re below half health.
Jungle changes - League of Legends
The jungle has been a huge focus for this update, with an almost complete overhaul of everything you can see and do inside of it.
Firstly, camps are now a little more durable, with the goal being to make taking one more of an investment for laners. The exception is Krugs, which has become less durable as 2 Krugs have been removed, which should make pathing a little easier in the early game.
A lot of the monsters in the jungle have been altered to give less experience and gold from killing them. The idea here is to move some of the experience and gold game into the jungle items instead.
Finally, and most importantly, you now have jungle companions. These cuties will help you out in the jungle, focusing on different things. The Mosstomper will boost your shield and make you more of a tank with each monster you kill, the Scorchclaw will accumulate Ember as you attack and kill monsters so you can hit harder than ever, and the Gustwalker will build speed buffs and you cut your way through the jungle.
Top Lane changes - League of Legends
If you like playing top lane characters then you’ll be pleased to know that some updates have been made that help top lane scale better compared to others. To make it simple, both top and mid lanes are getting an XP boost, while bottom lane is getting an XP nerf. On top of that, mid-lane now makes a little less gold too.
Champion changes - League of Legends
Three champions have undergone changes in this update, and it’s good news, as all of them have been buffed in some way. Cho’Gath has had their R damage increased in order to keep it competitive with the buff coming to Smite. Lillia has been changed from a ranged to a melee character, with a decrease in base health, but an increase in health growth and passive healing. Finally, Nunu has had their Q damage increased against non-champions.
Auto-mod overhaul - League of Legends
Unfortunately, LoL has a bit of a reputation to outsiders as a toxic place to go gaming. This update is implementing a new system to try and crack down on bad behavior. This system is said to be much better at detecting foul and abusive language and dispensing penalties accordingly. The team has also claimed that it will be able to “identify the nuance between more egregious chat and less-severe, but still inappropriate, chat.”.
Written by Ryan Woodrow on behalf of GLHF.
