League of Legends Patch 25.S1.1 Notes: A New Noxian Rift, Atakhan Bringer of Ruin, and More

Here we are at the beginning of a fresh year and an exciting new season for League of Legends, which brings significant updates to Summoner’s Rift and plenty more! Fans have been eagerly anticipating since the captivating cinematic video unveiled some fantastic champions, and everyone can’t wait to experience the new season firsthand. With Patch 25.S1.1 now live (I suppose it’s patch 25 because of the year instead of 15), let’s dive into everything you should be aware of before diving back in.

In this latest update, a fearsome new monster, Atakhan, the Destroyer, emerges in two distinct forms through the rift. Additionally, nexus turrets can now reappear after being destroyed. A fresh rift design inspired by Noxus has also been introduced. Furthermore, new boots are now tied to a bounty system, and as always, every new patch brings adjustments to the champions.

League of Legends 25.S1.1 Patch Notes

Atakhan Bringer of Ruin Hits the Rift

In the League of Legends map Summoner’s Rift, Atakhan, the third epic monster, appears around the 20-minute mark, situated between the Rift Herald and Baron. This monster is introduced to influence some game states in League matches by assuming two different forms. The form and location where Atakhan will materialize is determined by the level of violence during the early stages of the game. Specifically, at the 14-minute mark, walls will appear in either the top or bottom lane, depending on which one has sustained more damage and kills from champions.

Building on that idea, the level of champion damage and kills during the game will influence which variant of Atakhan emerges at the 20-minute mark. A more leisurely early game means players will encounter Voracious Atakhan, whose defeat awards the victorious team a permanent 40 gold bonus for each champion takedown until the end of the game. Additionally, defeating Voracious Atakhan provides all five victors with a single-use revive similar to Guardian Angel, lasting for 150 seconds. If a character carrying this buff is killed, they will enter a two-second stasis before respawning at full health back at their fountain. Conversely, the enemy team only receives 100 gold when defeating a character with this revive buff, compared to the standard 300 gold reward for a takedown.

If a game features numerous kills and damage on champions, then Ruinous Atakhan will appear. Once defeated, Ruinous Atakhan grants your team a 25% permanent boost to all rewards from epic monsters within the game, including those previously slain epic monsters. This enhancement primarily benefits dragon bonuses, making it significant for future encounters with epic monsters.

Atakhan the Destructor additionally scatters a shower of Blood Rose petals from an unusual plant. These Blood Rose petals serve as everlasting stat-enhancers, increasing a player’s experience gain by 25% based on their Kills/Deaths/Assists (K/D/A) and adaptive power. Once acquired, these enhancements remain permanent and cannot be taken away. This encourages players to seize as many Blood Rose petals as they can, not only for their own benefit but also to prevent enemies from reaping the same rewards.

Feats of Strength: New Boots, New Rewards

In line with the Nexus takeover theme, a fresh twist is introduced in League of Legends, where boots options gain an exciting new dimension based on significant moments in each League of Legends game. The boot variations at tiers one and two remain unchanged but can now be enhanced with powerful upgrades that are exclusively awarded to the team that achieves specific game targets first. Instead of players receiving extra gold for the first blood and first turret, these events will now directly impact the boot upgrade system.

In this competition, teams aim to achieve any two out of the following three objectives before their opponents do: “First Blood” (being the first team to get a kill), “First Turret” (destroying the enemy’s turret first), and “Monster Slaying” (killing three epic monsters ahead of the other team). Once a team secures two out of these three, the boots they have purchased from the tier-two category will undergo an upgrade. These upgrades offer different stat bonuses tailored to the type of the boots; for example, berserker greaves might grant extra attack speed while plated steelcaps could provide additional armor.

Advancing a level up, achieving these unique boots through the Trials of Strength challenge not only grants tier-three boots for additional game stats but also makes them available for purchase later in the game for even more boosts. To acquire the tier-three enhancements and further strengthen your stat growth during the endgame, players need to have completed two legendary items first. This change should encourage gamers to concentrate on these fresh tasks, as the boots system has been overhauled with new splash art, names, and bonus stats, offering an exciting update.

Nexus Turrets Now Respawn

Riot Games has added new nexus turrets in matches to extend gameplay duration. These turrets are similar to inhibitors and will reappear at full health three minutes after being destroyed, providing a fresh opportunity for both sides. In the past, losing your nexus turrets often meant the end of a League of Legends match, as it left your nexus vulnerable and made winning much easier for the opposing team. However, if you manage to hold out long enough, your final line of defense will be restored, offering teams playing from behind a better chance to fight back.

Teleport Changes, New Splash Arts for all Summoner Spells

This update from Riot intends to extend games, focusing on enhancing comeback opportunities and moderating the pace of each game’s early stages. Notably, modifications to the Teleport summoner spell are a key part of this strategy. Teleport is one of the most frequently used summoner spells after Flash, and its functions will now adapt in some novel and familiar ways.

In its standard version, the primary adjustments to the teleport function involve a change from an immediate blink after casting, instead, champions will enter stasis and traverse the rift to their destination. The duration of this travel varies from 4 to 8 seconds based on distance, while it consistently takes 4 seconds in the Unleashed Teleport form. To offset the elimination of the blink teleport, Riot has decreased the casting time for the ability by a second and increased the movement speed following teleport by an extra second.

Minion Waves and Regular Turret Changes

In line with Riot’s aim to decelerate the pace of League’s early game, adjustments have been made to minions and turrets. Now, minions will inflict greater damage on each other, reducing the capacity to create massive waves that quickly crumble towers, thereby slowing down the process of taking towers in the initial stages of the game. However, as the game progresses, minions will gain increased health and stop scaling attack damage earlier compared to previous updates, enabling stronger pushes to influence game outcomes later in the match.

On the side facing enemy champions, Riot has made adjustments to the damage output of the turret when it fires. The heat damage amplification per stack or each shot taken by an opponent has been boosted. Additionally, the time it takes for the amp-up to increase has been extended from three to five seconds. This change should discourage many attacks on the turret, promoting a more gradual early game. To balance out the turret’s power, Riot has reduced the additional resistances for tier one turrets in the top and mid lanes from 85% to 50%, making it easier for solo laners to collect minion kills as diving becomes riskier.

Champion Changes: Hits to Early Game Power of ADCs

In this update, the map layout and playstyle undergo major transformations, leaving minimal adjustments to Champions in 25.S1.1, particularly affecting marksmen players. Interestingly, all four champions targeted in this patch are marksmen, with a shared focus on prolonging the early game. Adjustments made to Ashe, Kalista, Twitch, and Varus appear as nerfs during the early stages of the game but offer additional advantages as the match progresses.

To illustrate, let’s consider Ashe. Initially, the overall damage on her W volley skill was greatly reduced early in the game. But, now, it scales stronger over time. Additionally, enhancements to her passive ability, Frost Shot’s increased crit against slowed champions, and her Q, Rangers Focus, providing extra damage and attack speed have made Ashe a more powerful mid-game marksman due to these combined factors.

In essence, Kalista’s modifications follow a similar theme. Her signature early-game combination involving hurling her Q, Pierce, into a Rend off the spear pile has undergone nerfs in terms of base attack damage and bonus AD on her rent. This adjustment is expected to diminish Kalista’s influence over the lane during the initial levels. However, to balance this out for the mid-to-late game, Riot has amplified the attack damage ratios on both abilities and slowed down the reduction of her passive hopping ability, thereby facilitating better maneuvering in team fights.

In a recent update, Varus, the final champion, has undergone adjustments aimed at curtailing his early-game strength. His base mana pool has been decreased by 40 points, from 360 to 320. Moreover, both of his poking abilities, Piercing Arrow and Hail of Arrows, have suffered damage reductions, and the latter’s mana cost has gone up by ten. As a result, the popular playstyle of using Varus with lethality items may no longer be effective due to these substantial alterations.

Lastly, Twitch underwent a slight adjustment, primarily enhancing the speed of his venom-filled cask, which facilitates increased stacking on his passive ability and a higher volume of auto attacks delivered by players.

Noxian Summoners Rift & New Skins

Wrapping up, let’s discuss cosmetic matters. Initially, Summoner’s Rift has undergone a Noxian makeover. Turrets exhibit a more military, mechanical vibe, complete with laser-guided missiles. Minions seem to have emerged from the Immortal Bastion, ready for war. Even the shopkeepers are gearing up for a Noxian masquerade, donning new masks for the occasion. These alterations won’t influence gameplay in any way but will maintain the dominant red theme of Noxus.

A fresh season demands a fresh skin collection! Meet the Masque of the Black Rose line, showcasing characters like Renata Glasc, Ezreal, Vladimir, Elise, and an exclusive version for Katarina. If you’ve been following the latest League cinematic, you’ll recognize Katarina and Elise’s skins from the video, as they exude a sense of grandeur with deep red colors, luxurious attire, and masks to conceal your true identity.

Beyond the collection inspired by Noxus, Sett will soon receive a skin themed after Chinese New Year, titled Radiant Serpent Sett. This new appearance will be accessible with the recent game update.

You can read the latest League of Legends patch 25.S1.1 notes here.

2025-01-10 05:39