League of Legends Patch 8.9 Arrives with Major Changes
League of Legends Patch 8.9 is set to release this week, and the official patch notes have been revealed. This week’s patch brings significant core gameplay changes, including buffs to mana regeneration and base mana pools. However, these buffs are accompanied by nerfs to mana pool growth. Additionally, players can expect major changes to two neutral monsters in the game—the Baron Nashor and Rift Herald.
Riot Games continues to prioritize impactful and meaningful solo play following criticism from the playerbase. Patch 8.9 introduces item changes, turret changes, and rune changes on top of the usual balance adjustments. Players will also be greeted with new content, such as the Beemo skin for Teemo and the Blood Moon Evelynn skin.
Nerfs to Champions
Caitlyn:
– Headshot (P): Can no longer crit, but receives a percentage boost (modified by crit) when hitting champions.
– Headshot (P): Damage to non-champions is now double the value of a champion Headshot.
Kai’Sa:
– Icathian Rain (Q): Evolved total missiles reduced by two; missile damage now flagged as AoE.
– Supercharge (E): Duration reduced by one second, and Runaan’s Hurricane bolts no longer grant cooldown reduction.
Poppy:
– Base movement speed decreased by five.
– Iron Ambassador (P): Range bonus increased by 50 units.
– Steadfast Presence (W): Movement speed boost lowered to a flat 30 percent.
– Steadfast Presence (W): Base resistance bonus lowered by five percent; resistance bonus below 40 percent health lowered by 10 percent.
– Heroic Charge (E): Range increased by 50 units.
– Keeper’s Verdict (R): Snap-casting this ability no longer makes enemies untargetable during knock-up; knock-up duration reduced by 0.25 seconds.
– Keeper’s Verdict (R): Base damage lowered by 10 at all ranks.
– Keeper’s Verdict (R): Full-charge missile speed increased by 400.
Warwick:
– Base attack damage lowered by three.
– Jaws of the Beast (Q): Max-health damage lowered from 6-10 percent depending on rank to 6-8 percent.
Changes to Items
Guinsoo’s Rageblade:
– Now stacks uniquely with Jhin’s passive to avoid recursive stacking, which was resulting in excessively high AD. Riot plans to rebuild the item’s synergy with other champions in the future.
– Although technically counted as a bug fix, this change will result in a nerf to certain champions.
Tear of the Goddess:
– Cost increased by 100 gold.
– Mana cost refund lowered by five percent.
– When gaining max mana from this item, it will now preserve the percentage of mana rather than granting full max mana. For example, gaining four mana will increase the mana bar by two if it’s at 50 percent.
Doran’s Ring:
– No longer provides base mana regeneration, but instead regenerates five mana per five seconds.
– No longer returns mana on minion kill, but instead adds five damage on-hit to minions.
Buffs to Champions
Several champions are receiving large boosts to base mana and mana regeneration but will have lower mana growth per level. This is considered a buff since most of these champions already build large mana pools with items later in the game. The champions receiving these buffs are Ahri, Anivia, Annie, Azir, Brand, Cassiopeia, Fiddlesticks, Heimerdinger, Karthus, Lissandra, Lux, Malzahar, Orianna, Swain, Syndra, Taliyah, Twisted Fate, Veigar, Val’Koz, Viktor, Xerath, Ziggs, Zilean, Zoe, and Zyra.
Other champions receiving large boosts to mana regeneration without any other changes are Diana, Galio, Kayle, Morgana, and Teemo.
Buffs to Champions
Amumu:
– Bandage Toss (Q): Mana cost significantly decreased at all ranks.
Dr. Mundo:
– Sadism (R): Maximum health recovered increased from 40-60 percent depending on rank to 50-100 percent.
Garen:
– Decisive Strike (Q): Base damage significantly increased at later ranks.
– Courage (W): Maximum resistances increased by 10.
Irelia:
– Ionian Fervor (P): Now refreshes duration on large monsters.
Ivern:
– Friend of the Forest (P): Max health cost lowered by 2.5 percent.
– Friend of the Forest (P): Maturation time decreased at later levels.
– Rootcaller (Q): Missile width increased by 15 units.
Kassadin:
– Null Sphere (Q): Magic damage shield increased by 20 points at rank one, but evens out at the same number by max rank.
Kennen:
– Electrical Surge (W): Fifth attack base damage lowered at early ranks but raised at higher ranks. Bonus AD scaling increased from 60 percent to 60-100 percent depending on ability rank. AP scaling lowered by 10 percent.
– Electrical Surge (W): Active base damage lowered by 5-15 depending on rank, and AP scaling increased by 25 percent.
– Lightning Rush (E): Kennen now gains 30-70 percent attack speed depending on rank upon exiting lightning form, but loses defensive bonuses upon exiting as well.
Leona:
– Eclipse (W): Base damage increased by 20 at all ranks.
Lux:
– Bonus attack speed at level 1 increased from zero to seven percent, but attack speed growth lowered by 0.36 percent.
– Health growth lowered by six.
– Light Binding (Q): Base damage increased at early ranks, cooldown lowered to 10 seconds, and mana cost decreased by 10.
– Prismatic Barrier (W): Return shield is now always doubled, and Lux shields herself and fires the missile simultaneously.
– Lucent Singularity (E): Missile speed lowered by 100, radius lowered by 40.
– Lucent Singularity (E): Mana cost and cooldown both lowered at later ranks.
Rammus:
– Defensive Ball Curl (W): Armor increased by 10.
Shyvana:
– Burnout (W): Removed AP scaling.
– Flame Breath (E): Fireball AP scaling increased by 40 percent.
– Dragon’s Descent (R): AP scaling increased by 30 percent.
Sona:
– Base AD raised by three.
– Power Chord (P): Base damage increased at all levels.
Syndra:
– Transcendent (P): Dark Sphere upgrade changed from lasting two additional seconds to dealing 15 percent more damage to champions.
Talon:
– Noxian Diplomacy (Q): Range increased by 75 units (bug-fix).
Ziggs:
– Hexplosive Minefield (E): Base damage significantly increased at later levels.
Changes to Items
Lost Chapter:
– Cost increased by 200.
– AP increased by 15.
Hextech GLP-800:
– Combine cost lowered by 200 gold.
– Mana increased by 100.
– Slow duration increased by one second.
– Missile speed increased by 400.
– Missile spread time decreased by 0.1 seconds.
Fiendish Codex:
– AP increased by five.
Twin Shadows:
– AP increased by 10.
Seeker’s Armguard:
– Cost decreased by 100 gold.
Spellbinder:
– Total cost and combine cost increased by 100 gold.
– AP increased by 20.
– Max AP on activation decreased by 20.
– Movement speed max activation increased by 20 percent.
Rylai’s Crystal Scepter:
– AP increased by five.
Mejai’s Soulstealer:
– Stacks needed for movement speed lowered by five.
Luden’s Echo:
– Cost lowered by 100 gold.
– Mana increased by 100.
Changes to Turrets
The amount of AP converted to damage champions deal to turrets has been raised by 10 percent. If a basic attack uses converted AP to damage a turret, the entire basic attack will now be shifted to magic damage.
New Additions
Baron:
– Reworked to be easier to kill without tanks.
– Base damage dramatically lowered, but Corruption damage increased.
– Base health increased by 2,600.
Rift Herald:
– Reworked to be more rewarding for leading teams and weaker for teams on the defensive.
– Takes less self-inflicted damage from charge attacks and deals more damage to towers with the charge attack.
– Takes more damage from attacks on the eye.
Unsealed Spellbook Rune:
– Redesigned.
– Can now be used to swap Summoner Spells from anywhere on the map as long as you’re out of combat.
– New Summoner Spell has a single use, and you revert back to your original Spell after casting it.
– Each swap permanently reduces the cooldown of swapping by 15 seconds (starts with a four-minute cooldown).
– Original Summoner Spells retain their cooldowns even when not equipped and countdown in the background.
– For example, if your Flash has 180 seconds longer on cooldown, you swap it for Heal and then use Heal 20 seconds later, your Flash will be on a 160-second cooldown when it returns.
New Skins
Beemo (with Chromas):
– Image via Riot Games.
– YouTube video URL: [add video URL here]
Blood Moon Evelynn:
– Image via Riot Games.
– YouTube video URL: [add video URL here]
Chromas for Mecha Zero Sion:
– YouTube video URL: [add video URL here]
League of Legends, Patch 8.9, Patch notes, Mana regeneration, Base mana pools, Baron Nashor, Rift Herald, Beemo skin, Blood Moon Evelynn, Mana buffs, Champion nerfs, Item changes, Rune changes, Turret changes, Unsealed Spellbook Rune, Skins.