Changes to Minion Waves in League of Legends Will Impact Strategy
In recent years, the strategy in League of Legends has evolved, requiring players, especially professionals, to have a better understanding of the map and various gameplay elements. Simple split pushing tactics are no longer enough to win games. Teams must now focus on all areas of the map, constantly swap lanes, control objectives, and utilize each minion wave to gain advantages.
However, significant changes are on the horizon when it comes to how teams manage minion waves. In the latest update, Patch 8.23, Riot Games made adjustments to late-game minions to make them more effective for sieging without solely relying on the Baron buff.
One major change is the speed of the minions. Previously, they received a flat 25 bonus movement speed at the 20-minute mark to speed up late-game actions. Now, this bonus scales from 25 at 10 minutes and increases by 25 every five minutes afterward. This change has led to some interesting developments after the 15-minute mark.
After 15 minutes, minion waves start arriving so quickly that once they are pushed past the river, they will remain there, creating an auto freeze. In the past, these waves would arrive faster for the defending team and push the enemy wave back. However, with the recent changes, the minions on the long side of the map reach their destination quickly enough to keep the minion wave frozen indefinitely.
This change has significant implications for side wave management, a concept that even the best League of Legends teams struggle to master. Previously, taking an outer turret and pushing the minions would allow the team to recall and receive that wave back, providing an opportunity to focus on other objectives or force a lane swap. Now, teams must either stay longer to fully push the wave into the turret and hard reset or, as shown in the video, focus on pushing around a cannon wave.
For the losing team, this change gives them a significant advantage. They now have more time to collapse on the team trying to reset. Alternatively, they can make their own plays on the other side of the map without worrying about losing minions and having the wave push back. Since both teams lose the same amount of minions, they have the option to keep the lane frozen and protect other lanes before picking up farm whenever they choose.
How professional teams utilize this new mechanic will demonstrate their understanding of wave management. Pro players, like us in solo queue, are focused on farming and gold. However, this change presents an opportunity to see which teams have the discipline to leave minions frozen and create pressure elsewhere.
One interesting outcome could be when both side lanes have frozen waves. This could lead to an era of teamfight compositions that are built to run it down the mid lane. Such a meta shift could benefit North American teams who already enjoy massive mid lane fights. Perhaps this change is Riot Games’ subtle move to bring a North American team back to the finals at Worlds.
League of Legends, minion waves, map, strategy, side wave management, auto freeze, professional teams, wave management, meta shift, North American teams