New Tier List Patch 25.23: Huge Off Meta Jungle Buffs!

Patch 25.23 Changes and Off-Meta Jungle Buffs

Patch 25.23 introduces a significant shift in the meta with numerous buffs and nerfs across roles, as well as exciting adjustments to off-meta junglers. Let's delve into the updates and tier changes for key champions in this patch.

General Champion Changes

1. ADCs: Some adjustments are being made, but the real excitement lies in the jungle and top lane, where more substantial shifts are occurring.
2. New Champion - Zahen: While Zahen is hitting the rift in this patch, we'll hold off on ranking them until they settle into the meta.
3. Item Changes: The Sunfire Aegis is receiving a buff, particularly benefiting tank junglers like Zac, Amumu, Rammus, and Sejuani with increased passive monster damage.

Top Lane Adjustments

• Rexi: A notable pick at Worlds, Rexi is facing nerfs that reduce fury gain on minions and lower passive health healing. These changes place Rexi in the B tier as her early laning phase weakens.
• Mundo: Adjustments to Mundo's E will affect his performance, though the power level remains neutral overall.
• Swain: With his E damage increased, Swain becomes a more viable niche pick, especially against popular meta top laners. Swain climbs to the A tier due to his effectiveness in the current matchups.

Jungle Buffs

The jungle role sees the most dynamic changes, especially with off-meta champions gaining new relevance.

1. Skarner: Despite previous buffs, Skarner remains weak. Additional buffs include increased AD growth and decreased cooldowns for Q, but he stays in the C tier for now.
2. Atrox: Emerging as a potential surprise, Atrox receives significant boosts to both passive and Q damage against monsters. This positions him for potential viability, though he's not rated yet due to being unproven in the jungle role.
   • Ambessa: Gains a minor increase in Q monster damage. This slight buff likely places her in the B tier as a steady, though not outstanding, pick.
   • Jace: Although receiving a 50 bonus damage buff to monsters, Jace's jungle presence remains negligible, so he will not be rated at this time.
   • Malight: Malight's W sees a 200% bonus damage increase to monsters, promising improved effectiveness in the jungle. With the added buff to Sunfire Aegis, Malight may transition into a more competitive pick.

Table: Off-Meta Jungle Buffs Overview

The changes in Patch 25.23 lay the groundwork for exciting new strategies and shifts in tier placements, particularly for jungle champions. With several off-meta picks receiving attention, we may soon see fresh contenders making their mark on the rift.

More Off-Meta Jungle Buffs

Despite being played in a significant number of games, some champions, like Malight, still struggle with their win rates. With recent changes, Malight's W ability has boosted his potential in the jungle. However, until results show a positive shift, he's settled in the C tier. On the other hand, Hor receives considerable buffs to his W active and passive, increasing the damage cap against monsters substantially. Yet, due to his lengthy cooldown, these improvements may not dramatically impact his jungle viability, and thus he remains off the tier list until further data suggests otherwise.

Prominent Buffs for Riven and Scion

Riven’s jungle potential sees a possible rise with her passive now delivering additional damage after using abilities. However, similar to Hor, Riven lacks extensive data as a jungler, and her current win rate is insufficient to warrant a significant tier list shift. Until more evidence is found, she'll remain unranked.

Contrasting these, Scion benefits from a more modest buff to his Q ability. Despite the minor increase in damage to monsters, Scion's relatively stable win rate suggests he could perform well. Therefore, Scion earns a place in the B tier as his adjustments align with his already reasonable performance levels.

Fizz's Buffs and Tier List Considerations

Exceptionally buffed this patch, Fizz gains base armor, increased damage reduction, and extra damage against monsters. Despite these enhancements, his cooldown for his ultimate ability has been lengthened, introducing a notable setback. Given his subpar win rate, Fizz remains excluded from the jungle tier list until further shifts are observed.

Jungle Tier List Additions and New Strengths

The updated tier list reflects new dynamics brought by these buffs:

1. Kha'Zix: Ascending to the OP tier, Kha'Zix thrives thanks to new rune combinations, enhancing his strength at critical levels with powerful burst capabilities. Champs benefiting from similar rune efficiencies include:
   • Fiddlesticks
   • Gwen
   • Talon
   • Ivern
   • Rengar

   As the meta adapts, champions like Ambessa, Malight, and Scion enter the tier list, while others await further exploration.

Mid Lane Adjustments

In the mid lane scene, Ahri receives slight buffs to her W ability, although her strong current status negates any need for tier list adjustments. Hay faces nerfs reducing base damage in his QE combo, moving him from S to A tier. Vlad retains his position despite minor setbacks, while Mel might see functional shifts due to an E ability nerf reducing its root duration.

Cassadin experiences a positive transition credited to recent rune adaptations, climbing up to the S tier. Despite Fizz's jungle boost, his mid-lane presence remains weak due to extended ability cooldowns. Thus, forthcoming patches will be closely watched to see how these changes unfold across both roles.

ADC Buffs and Nerfs in Patch 25.23

The latest patch brings significant changes to the ADC landscape, affecting multiple champions and reshaping the tier dynamics.

ADC Buffs

1. Jyn:
   • Base AD increased from 59 to 61.
   • Passive movement speed based on attack speed increased from 40% to 44%.
   • W damage increased from 60-200 to 70-210.
   • Moves from below A tier to A tier.
2. Misfortune:
   • R damage AD ratio per wave increased from 75% to 80%.
   • Benefiting from recent rune buffs; moves into OP tier.
3. Tristana:
   • AD growth increased from 2.5 to 2.9.
   • Approximately 1% win rate gain; solidifies as a strong S tier pick.
4. Xayah:
   • Passive feather damage AD ratio increased from 30-50% to 35-55%.
   • Moves into a solid A tier position.
5. Zeri:
   • R passive movement speed per stack increased from 0.5% to 1%.
   • Promoted into S tier.

ADC Nerfs

1. Ashe:
   • Q attack speed reduced from 25-75% to 20-60%.
   • Moved from OP to S tier.
2. Caitlyn:
   • Passive total AD ratio decreased from 60-120% to 60-100%.
   • Dropped from A to B tier.
3. Jinx:
   • R base damage reduced by 50 at all ranks.
   • Bonus AD ratio dropped from 155 to 130%.
   • Moves from OP into S tier.
4. Kai'Sa:
   • Base armor reduced from 27 to 25.
   • R cooldown increased from 120-60 seconds to 130-70 seconds.
   • Firmly placed in A tier from A/S tier borderline.

The Shifting ADC Meta

These changes bring a fresh look to the ADC meta. With Ashe and Jinx dropping out of OP status, champions like Vayne, Misfortune, and Tristana are now on more equal footing, offering players a range of potent options to choose from. Below is a quick comparison of key ADC characteristics:

Support Changes and Impacts

Support roles see minor changes in this patch:

• Swain receives a slight buff: his E damage increases by 10 at all ranks, and mana cost decreases by 10. Despite this, Swain remains in the C tier.

• Nico adjusts in pro play with her inability to transform into a cannon minion indefinitely, but no direct impact on her solo queue strength.

• Mel remains a weaker support choice, remaining in C tier due to lessened utility in exchange for increased damage.

While the primary focus is on ADCs, these adjustments may indirectly influence support choices, especially those who synergize well with specific ADCs. However, established OP supports like Nami and Milio continue to dominate their roles.

Overall, the patch 25.23 promises an intriguing shake-up in both ADC and support tiers, inviting fresh strategies and team compositions.