It’s Worlds season again! According to the official patch notes released today, Patch 7.18 will be the patch played on during the 2017 League of Legends World Championship.
This means that the meta resulting from tomorrow’s changes will be the meta locked in for the tournament. The champion changes may not be major, but they are still significant.
There are buffs to champions like Lee Sin and Nautilus who were once at the top of the meta but have fallen out of favor. On the other hand, nerfs are being handed out to champions currently dominating the meta, such as Tristana and Gragas. Additionally, Riot will be introducing purchasable emotes to certain regions starting tomorrow, which adds an extra layer of excitement to this patch.
Let’s take a look at the nine most important changes, new features, and fixes introduced in Patch 7.18, also known as the Worlds patch.
1) Emotes, a new kind of BM
Mastery emotes have been around for a while, but let’s face it, flashing your mastery level seven emote as you kill opponents can get a bit stale. Enter purchasable emotes. Soon, you’ll be able to buy emotes from the in-client shop that aren’t mastery emotes. For now, emotes will be available on the Oceania server, with other regions getting them at a later date. As a bonus, players who are part of the initial rollout will receive a free thumbs-up emote.
2) Mid lane mayhem
Patch 7.18 brings a slew of changes to mid lane champions in an effort to stabilize the meta for Worlds.
– Cassiopeia: Tweaks to her E, Twin Fang, will result in less early game damage but more damage later on. These changes only affect bonus damage towards poisoned targets.
– Azir: A minor buff to his ultimate ability increases its base damage at all ranks.
– Lucian: His E, Relentless Pursuit, will have a higher cooldown at early levels.
– Ryze: A buff to his W, Rune Prison, significantly increases its AP scaling.
3) Jungle shakeup
The jungle role has seen numerous meta shifts this year, and Patch 7.18 introduces several changes to stabilize it for Worlds.
– Rengar, Lee Sin, Ivern, and Nidalee buffs: These buffs are minor stat increases aimed at making these champions viable again without making their strengths too overwhelming.
– Gragas, Jarvan, and Elise nerfs: These nerfs will slightly weaken these meta champions without completely stripping away their strengths.
4) Top lane buffs
The top lane is receiving buffs in this patch, except for Gnar who is getting a minor nerf to his base health. Champions who were once popular but fell out of favor are being given some love in the hopes of seeing them in professional play again.
– Fiora: Reverting the nerfs introduced in Patch 7.14 to her passive and ultimate abilities, making her more viable in the meta again.
– Nautilus: Changes to his Q make engaging in fights slightly easier without turning him back into a dominant duelist.
5) Ornn
Ornn’s changes stand out from the rest, as they are more than just tweaks. After a lackluster release, Ornn is in desperate need of some strength. Buffs to his Q, Volcanic Rupture, and W, Bellow’s Breath, increase the ability’s effectiveness. His ultimate also receives a cooldown reduction.
6) ADC nerfs
While the ADC meta is diverse, there are a couple of champions causing problems in the professional scene.
– Tristana: A nerf to her E, Explosive Charge, reduces its damage at all ranks, specifically the AD ratio.
– Kalista: An increase in the cooldown of her ultimate reduces her teamfight power without affecting her dueling capabilities.
7) Support changes
Patch 7.18 brings numerous changes to the support meta, primarily focusing on support items. However, one support champion receives nerfs.
– Spellthief’s Edge items: Buffs to the Frostfang item and all subsequent items in the Spellthief’s line make them more appealing to mage supports.
– Rakan: His W, Grand Entrance, moves more slowly and the scaling portion of the ability is reduced, while his ultimate has a reduced hit detection radius.
8) Tank item nerfs
The tank item meta has been unbalanced, and Patch 7.18 introduces nerfs to address this.
– Cinderhulk: A slight nerf reduces the health provided by the item.
– Gargoyle Stoneplate: Changes to its synergy with Cinderhulk mean the bonus health from the active will be applied separately.
– Knight’s Vow: A significant nerf reduces its health, making it less effective on tanks.
9) Bugs
As with most patches, Patch 7.18 includes bugfixes. Some notable fixes include:
– Sivir’s E – Spell Shield no longer blocks Summoner Spells.
– Fizz’s R – Chum the Waters no longer attaches to spell-shielded champions from max range.
– Xerath’s W – Eye of Destruction slow now decay correctly.
– Ornn’s E – Searing Charge correctly destroys Anivia’s W – Crystallize.
– Vi’s recommended items on Howling Abyss no longer include Dead Man’s Plate twice.
This patch brings significant changes that will impact the meta and possibly even shift it. While it’s uncertain whether Patch 7.19 will be included in Worlds, Patch 7.18 will kick off the tournament, making it a crucial update.
esports, League of Legends, Patch 7.18, World Championship, champion changes, buffs, nerfs, emotes, mid lane, jungle, top lane, ADC, support, tank items, bugfixes.