Ah, Patch 14.23—another leap in the League of Legends balancing act. Riot has delivered a big one this time, folks. With major reworks for Aurora and Rell, thematic tie-ins to the Arcane show, and some spicy system and item changes, this patch feels like a rollercoaster ride through Summoner’s Rift. And here, at Blix, we try to help as casual players (with articles like “Best Characters in League of Legends for Beginners“) as pro-level masterminds (read “Riot Games Completed Another Round of Layoffs in 2024“). Well, 14.23 holds plenty to digest, critique, and meme about. So let’s dive in, shall we?
Contents
- 1 Highlights
- 2 The Big Picture: What’s in This Patch?
- 3 Aurora and Rell: Reworked and Revamped
- 4 Arcane Tie-ins: Riot’s Multimedia Power Move
- 5 The Buffs, Nerfs, and Everything In Between
- 6 Nerfs: Bringing Down the Giants
- 7 Buffs: Elevating the Underdogs
- 8 Adjusted: Reworks and Fine-Tuning
- 9 System Changes: Bounty Overhaul
- 10 Item Changes: Big Shifts in Build Paths
- 11 How Could This Patch Impact the Pro Scene?
- 12 Player Reactions
Highlights
- The main elements of 14.23 in short
- Aurora and Rell reworked details
- Pieces of the Arcane show going live
- Buffs, nerfs, and item additions
- Bounty system analysis
- Additional: what does that patch mean for pros
The Big Picture: What’s in This Patch?
Patch 14.23 brings bold changes to League of Legends, reshaping the meta just as we gear up for the end-of-year competitive season. Whether you’re figuring out how to exploit the new bounty system or adapting to nerfs on your main, one thing’s for sure—this patch isn’t pulling any punches.
The question now is simple: will you adapt and thrive, or fall victim to the chaos? Better sharpen your skills and hit the Rift. The meta waits for no one.
But let’s start with the essentials. Patch 14.23 revolves around five core updates:
- Aurora and Rell Reworks: Riot overhauled these champions, smoothing out gameplay wrinkles and bringing new dimensions to their kits. If you love Aurora’s enigmatic vibe or Rell’s crowd-control madness, prepare to relearn them.
- Arcane Awakes: Riot knows how to ride the hype wave, and with the new Arcane season out, this patch brings lore updates, skins, and thematic missions inspired by the show. More content? Yes, please.
- Buffs and Nerfs: A buffet of champion tweaks, ranging from Azir’s return to prominence to Caitlyn’s ultimate damage taking a nosedive. Winners and losers aplenty here.
- Item Changes: A few standout items—like Yun Tal Wildarrows and Youmuu’s Ghostblade—get some love or, in some cases, tough love.
- Bounty System Overhaul: The infamous bounty mechanics get an upgrade, making comebacks a bit easier and games far more nerve-wracking.
Now that we’ve got the high-level rundown let’s zoom into the nitty-gritty, starting with the champions taking center stage.
Aurora and Rell: Reworked and Revamped
First, Aurora. She’s always had that “big-brain mid-laner” aura but also carried some serious clunkiness in her kit. Riot’s rework simplifies her passive and abilities while adding strategic depth. The days of chasing mastery tokens with her old mechanics are gone. Now, she feels more accessible without sacrificing complexity for skilled players. Early reactions? Positive, though some players worry her burst potential might be overturned.
Rell, on the other hand, is taking a hit where it hurts: her tankiness and crowd control. Her passive and W abilities see significant nerfs, cutting back on her ability to dominate team fights. Riot clearly wanted to curb her high pick rate in professional play, but the community’s reaction has been lukewarm at best. Many Rell mains feel their queen has been dethroned, while some support players welcome a meta shift.
Arcane Tie-ins: Riot’s Multimedia Power Move
With Arcane Season 2 heating up Netflix screens, Riot is seizing the opportunity to integrate its success into the game. Here’s what’s new:
- Skins and Visual Updates: Champions featured prominently in Arcane—like Vi, Jinx, and Caitlyn—get visually stunning skins that align with their appearances in the show. Riot is really flexing its art team here.
- Lore Expansion: The in-game biographies of these champions now tie more closely to their Arcane arcs, creating a seamless experience for lore junkies. Whether it’s Jinx’s unhinged genius or Vi’s vigilante grit, the story threads feel tighter than ever.
- Arcane Missions: Riot also added limited-time missions that reward themed cosmetics, icons, and emotes. Because who doesn’t want a Hextech-inspired recall animation?
While not groundbreaking from a gameplay perspective, these updates deepen the connection between the League universe and its multimedia expansions. A win for fans of both the game and the show.
[No spoilers] How did Arcane affect League of Legends? – Reddit
The Buffs, Nerfs, and Everything In Between
Ah, the patch notes buffet. Let’s dig into the most impactful champion changes:
Nerfs: Bringing Down the Giants
The nerf bat didn’t just swing; it smashed. Here are the champions taking a hit:
- Caitlyn: Her ultimate, Ace in the Hole, now scales at 100% bonus AD instead of 150%. Long-range burst? Consider it toned down.
- Kha’Zix: His base armor has been reduced, and the slow from his evolved W to isolated targets dropped to 60%. Jungle assassins, beware—you’re a bit more fragile now.
- Kog’Maw: Adjustments to his Q (Caustic Spittle) and E (Void Ooze) reduce his utility and poke potential. Less artillery, more cannon fodder.
- Shyvana: Her E (Flame Breath) scales less with AP, and her magic resist growth has been reduced, making her squishier in AP builds.
- Skarner: The health scaling on Q (Crystal Slash) dropped from 4% to 3%, softening his tanky bruiser status.
- Tahm Kench: His passive and ultimate take a hit to their AP scaling, making the River King feel less unkillable.
- Teemo: Monster damage on his E (Toxic Shot) reduced to 125%, slowing jungle Teemo down. Good luck setting up shroom maps.
- Zac: The max health scaling of his Q (Stretching Strikes) got cut to 3%, dialing back his damage potential while retaining his tankiness.
Buffs: Elevating the Underdogs
Some champions are seeing their stars rise:
- Azir: AP scaling on his W (Arise!) gets boosted from 35-55% to 40-60%. Shurima is back on the map.
- Master Yi: His ultimate, Highlander, now grants even more attack speed, scaling to 65% at max rank. Late-game Yi players, sharpen your blades.
- Miss Fortune: Her Q (Double Up) now costs a flat 40 mana at all levels, giving her better early-game lane control.
- Rammus: Q (Powerball) cooldown is reduced, letting him crash into enemies more frequently. “OKAY” intensifies.
- Rengar: Bonus damage and armor shred have been added to his R (Thrill of the Hunt), making him a terror for squishy backliners.
Adjusted: Reworks and Fine-Tuning
Due to its importance, the changes to Aurora and Rell we described above, separately. But except that, several more +champions didn’t get outright nerfs or buffs but received major adjustments:
- Smolder: Smolder is a new champion introduced just a few patches ago a;s received key adjustments that aim to fine-tune his balance across all levels of play. Not so important for the pro-scene to spotlight him separately, but big nevertheless. Riot specifically targeted his waveclear and scaling potential, which had been deemed too oppressive in both casual and professional games. His Q ability, Scorching Swipe, now deals slightly reduced damage to minions, ensuring that he can’t dominate lane control too easily. Additionally, the AP scaling on his E ability, Burning Breeze, was toned down, making his burst damage less overwhelming in later stages of the game.
Smolder PBE CHANGES 2024 November 11 (Patch 14.23) – Reddit
These changes are designed to reduce his ability to snowball early while still retaining his identity as a versatile mage who excels at zoning and sustained damage. Players have had mixed reactions: while some applaud Riot for addressing his overpowered status, others feel these adjustments might dampen Smolder’s fun factor, particularly for those who loved his quick wave-pushing prowess. Either way, it’s clear Riot is being cautious about keeping Smolder balanced without stripping away his fiery flair.
- Ambessa: Minor tweaks to her Q ability and passive improve her gameplay fluidity.
Ambessa Medarda, the formidable Noxian general introduced in the Netflix series Arcane, made her debut in League of Legends just recently, with Patch 14.22, released on November 6, 2024. The community's response to Ambessa has been largely positive, with many appreciating her thematic depth and the seamless integration of Arcane lore into the game. However, some players have expressed concerns regarding her balance, noting that her initial release felt slightly overtuned. The adjustments in Patch 14.23 appear to be Riot's response to these concerns, aiming to fine-tune her performance on the Rift.
- Jinx: Her AD growth went up, but the AD ratio on W (Zap!) got reduced to balance out her laning phase and scaling.
System Changes: Bounty Overhaul
The bounty system has undergone a massive rework, introducing faster-growing bounties and increased payouts for objectives.
- Champion bounties now grow 14% faster with kills and assists.
- Losing teams will see reduced penalties on their bounties, giving them more leeway to stage comebacks.
- Maximum gold contributions to objective bounties have been doubled, making objectives like Baron and Dragon even more rewarding when trailing behind.
Translation? Falling behind won’t feel as punishing, but snowballing teams will need to think carefully about holding their lead.
Item Changes: Big Shifts in Build Paths
Riot didn’t spare items from their scalpel either. Here are the highlights:
- Yun Tal Wildarrows: Its cost has been slashed to 2900 gold, passive duration extended to 6 seconds, and cooldown reduced to 30 seconds. It’s now a standout choice for DPS carries.
- Youmuu’s Ghostblade: The mobility item takes a hit—ranged champions see their out-of-combat speed halved, and the active duration shrinks to 4 seconds. Expect less ghosting from ranged assassins.
- The Collector: Its price rises to 3000 gold, slightly reducing its efficiency. A slight adjustment, but enough to nudge players toward alternatives.
How Could This Patch Impact the Pro Scene?
Let’s not beat around the bush—this patch is going to stir the pot in pro play. Aurora’s rework makes her a stronger mid-lane contender, while Rell’s nerfs could see her dropped in favor of Thresh or Nautilus. Teams will likely explore fresh strategies around Aurora’s new kit, which offers both simplicity for casual players and depth for high-level decision-making.
The bounty changes are perhaps the most impactful. Faster bounties and juicier rewards for objectives mean trailing teams have more options to claw back into the game. Analysts predict this will lead to bolder plays and more thrilling late-game moments. Will pro teams embrace the chaos or play cautiously to avoid missteps?
As for items, Youmuu’s Ghostblade’s nerf could disrupt ADC and assassin builds in the short term, while Yun Tal Wildarrows looks like a promising addition to crit-heavy carries. Expect bot lanes to experiment heavily with item builds during upcoming tournaments.
Player Reactions
Initial feedback from the community has been mixed. Aurora’s rework is generally well-received, with players praising her smoother mechanics, though some are concerned about her high burst potential. Rell, however, has fans divided—some lament her weakened engage capabilities, while others welcome the challenge of adapting to a new bot-lane meta.
The bounty system changes have sparked lively debates. Some players love the idea of rewarding comebacks, but others fear the faster-growing bounties might encourage reckless plays. As one Redditor put it: “Every game feels like a fiesta now—but it’s a fun fiesta.”
