New LoL patch promises K’Sante nerfs and lane swap changes

League of Legends is releasing patch 14.11 on May 30, and K’Sante mains better get ready for some well-deserved nerfs.

Key LoL patch notes include “adjustments” to K’Sante, a notably overpowered champion. Riot also hopes to reduce the amount of lane swaps, and there are multiple general changes to marksmen. Other edits feature character buffs and nerfs in both Arena and All Random, All Mid.

The new patch 14.11 follows the May 15th release of patch 14.10 and is the eleventh of twenty-four scheduled patch updates in 2024.

Riot hits K’Sante with nerfs in patch 14.10

League of Legends lead gameplay designer Matt Leung-Harrison has acknowledged that K’Sante might be too powerful after pro teams overwhelmingly chose to play him during the Mid-Season Invitational in Chengdu. As a character, K’Sante is highly durable with a high damage potential but is often called overpowered by fans.

In the new patch update, Riot plan on giving K’Sante “adjustments” rather than direct nerfs to increase his exploitability. Patch 14.11 aims to reduce the amount of damage that K’Sante can absorb by editing his kit. Riot hopes to sharpen both his strengths and weaknesses. Notably, developers won’t be addressing the durability issue this update.

Lane swapping will be less frequent

League of Legends plans to reduce the amount of lane swapping in patch 14.10 to improve viewer experiences. In the last patch, high-level players often used lane swapping between the top and bot lanes. This can provide early advantages or exploit an uneven match-up.

However, LoL developers intend to reduce lane swapping from every game to a more occasional tactic. To balance the nerf, patch 14.11 will add turret fortifications and first gold values.

Marksmen changes are up in the air for patch 14.11

Developers believe that marksmen may be too strong, but are waiting for player feedback before making many changes. Currently, marksmen are at a similar durability level to other changes made during the durability patch. However, if the durability and damage are too overpowered, additional edits may be made for more fair gameplay.

As for first items, the major note is that Shiv is underpowered and lacks an audience. LoL developers are looking to move the item to on-hit space and possibly boost its power.

The main Arena changes focus on buffs and nerfs for certain characters. Champions like Ekko and Fizz will be buffed while others like Darius and Vi will be nerfed.

Similar changes will take effect for ARAM to remove any buffs or nerfs that are no longer appropriate in patch 14.11. Smolder may also gain Sheen items and more builds, though the exact changes are yet to be determined.

The patch 14.11 update for League of Legends ultimately sets to even out gameplay for both players and viewers. The patch will drop on May 30.