New Tier List Update for Patch 25.21 - League of Legends

Key Takeaways

• Gwen returns to her pre-25.06 strength in top lane and jungle, climbing from roughly 47% to a 51% win rate and landing in S tier for both roles.
• Naafiri overtakes the mid lane with a Voltaic Cyclosword rush, displacing the old Eclipse first-item path for faster energized procs during skirmishes.
• Kassadin drops to A tier after three indirect nerfs hit his early-game tools: Doran's Shield, Second Wind, and Catalyst of Aeons.
• Graves pivots to a bruiser build (Umbral Glaive into Black Cleaver) as his E now stacks magic resistance from armor instead of granting flat MR.
• Kog'Maw is nerfed this patch — his Q passive attack speed drops from 10–30% to 5–25% across all ranks.
• Kalista picks up an AD growth buff and climbs from C to B tier on the back of improved win rates.
• Nami and Milio hold the OP tier for support; Bard's W heal AP ratio improves, though Dead Man's Plate still leads as his first item.

Here is the full breakdown of what changed in Patch 25.21 and what it means for your champion pool.

Patch 25.21 Updates: Highlights and Trends

Gwen has made a significant resurgence in both the top lane and jungle roles following her pre-25.06 revert. This update explores key meta shifts and provides an updated solo queue tier list for every role in patch 25.21.

Read on for the full role-by-role breakdown of what changed in Patch 25.21.

Top Lane Meta Shifts

1. Gwen's Rise:
   • With Riot reverting Gwen back to her pre-25.06 state, she has seen a dramatic improvement, moving from a 47% to a 51% win rate.
   • Optimal builds now focus on boosting her burst potential with items like Nashor's Tooth and Lich Bane, rather than the more popular Rift Maker.
   • As a result, Gwen has been elevated to S tier in the top lane tier list.
2. Mundo's Decline:
   • Despite his armor growth improvements, Mundo faces challenges due to the nerfs on Doran's Shield and Second Wind, which make his early-game laning weaker.
   • Mundo has been demoted from A to B tier as he struggles against meta fighters like Fiora and Yone.
3. Cassiopeia's Strength:
   • Cassiopeia remains underrated in the top lane but benefits from recent buffs and the Doran's Shield nerfs, boosting her bully potential significantly.
   • Rek'Sai moves into B tier based on recent competitive performances, while changes to Doran's Blade and Ring remain too minor to shift champion power broadly.

Gwen\'s return to S tier is the biggest meta shift for top lane in Patch 25.21.

The Doran's Shield nerf (melee heal reduced from 45 to 40) and the removal of Second Wind's flat 3 HP base value together hit tankier melee top laners hardest, creating room for ranged bullies like Teemo, Kennen, and Cassiopeia.

Jungle Changes

1. Gwen's Jungle Power:
   • Gwen is now equally strong in the jungle, utilizing a similar item strategy as in the top lane.
   • First Strike is preferred for faster item completion, specifically Nashor's Tooth into Lich Bane.
2. Graves Goes Bruiser:
   • Graves' E now grants stacking magic resistance based on his armor rather than a flat MR bonus, pushing him away from lethality toward a bruiser style.
   • The current favored build is Umbral Glaive into Black Cleaver, promoting durability in extended skirmishes.

Volibear and Jax enter the OP tier this patch, with Volibear's Trinity Force build outperforming the older Cosmic Drive path based on current usage data.

Current Top and Jungle Tier Lists

Diana drops from OP to S tier after her passive monster damage is reduced from 300% to 280%, a change expected to cost her roughly 0.5% win rate. She remains a strong pick despite the demotion.

Mid-Lane Dynamics and Changes

In patch 25.21, Naafiri has emerged as a dominant mid-lane champion, primarily due to a new build gaining traction. Previously, players favored Eclipse as the rush item for Naafiri. The Voltaic Cyclosword has now taken precedence due to its synergy with her kit — multiple procs of its energized attack trigger during skirmishes thanks to her frequent dashing. This shift has cemented Voltaic Cyclosword as the best rush choice for mid-lane Naafiri. Players pivoting off the old Eclipse rush can accelerate the re-calibration by working through a VOD review with a coach. Book a LoL coaching session to lock in the new build path.

For the second item, players have more options. The top-performing second items are:

1. Opportunity: Provides a movement speed boost on takedowns, offering strategic repositioning during fights.
2. Hubris: Focused on maximizing damage output.

These options allow players to tailor their playstyle to either mobility or raw damage. In this patch, Naafiri reigns as the best melee assassin in the mid lane, holding a spot in S tier.

Impact on Other Mid-Lane Champions

The patch has not been favorable for all mid laners, notably hurting Kassadin. The combined nerfs to the Second Wind rune, Doran's Shield, and Catalyst of Aeons have severely affected his early-game survivability. His consistent mid-to-late-game scaling suffers as a result, making blind picks riskier. Kassadin has been moved to A tier.

Diana and LeBlanc hold the OP tier for mid lane. The nerf to Morgana's armor growth (5 to 4.2) has not been substantial enough to shift her from a dominant position. Similarly, the Catalyst of Aeons nerf has not triggered a significant rearrangement in the tier list.

Bot Lane and ADC Adjustments

In the bot lane, the meta remains largely unchanged with Ashe and Jinx continuing as priority picks. Draven has experienced a slight decline in effectiveness due to shifts from life steal to damage-based healing, resulting in a win rate decrease and a repositioning to B tier.

Kalista has benefited from her AD growth buff, showing a win rate improvement and climbing out of C tier to B. Kog'Maw, despite holding a strong position, faces a real Q passive attack speed nerf this patch — the change reduces his passive attack speed bonus from 10–30% across ranks to 5–25%, a meaningful damage-per-second reduction at all stages.

Support Role Steadiness

The upper tiers of the support list remain unchallenged with Nami and Milio as OP tier regulars. Despite Bard receiving a buff to his W heal AP ratio (minimum heal +30% to +40% AP; maximum +60% to +70% AP), Dead Man's Plate continues to outperform other items as his first purchase, maintaining his current build strategy.

Patch 25.21 has shifted the mid-lane and ADC roles most noticeably, with subtler changes across other positions. As the meta continues to evolve, players who want to ride the patch winners up the ladder can climb ranked with the S-tier picks while the window is still fresh.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the biggest changes in LoL Patch 25.21?

The standout changes are Gwen's pre-25.06 revert (pushing her into S tier for top and jungle), nerfs to Doran's Shield and Second Wind (hurting melee-tank laners like Mundo and Kassadin), and Naafiri emerging as the dominant mid-lane assassin with a Voltaic Cyclosword rush.

Who is the best jungler in Patch 25.21?

Volibear and Jax have entered the OP tier with Trinity Force builds. Diana drops to S tier after a 300% to 280% monster damage reduction on her passive. Gwen also performs strongly in the jungle using the same Nashor's Tooth and Lich Bane path as in the top lane.

Is Gwen good in Patch 25.21?

Yes — Gwen is one of the biggest winners of this patch. Her revert to pre-25.06 stats has pushed her win rate from approximately 47% to 51%, making her an S-tier pick in both top lane and jungle. Her optimal build focuses on Nashor's Tooth into Lich Bane rather than Rift Maker.

Did Kog'Maw get nerfed in Patch 25.21?

Yes. Kog'Maw's Q passive attack speed bonus was reduced from 10/15/20/25/30% to 5/10/15/20/25% across all ranks. Despite this nerf, he remains a strong ADC pick, but players should factor in the reduced attack speed in their build planning.

What happened to Kassadin in Patch 25.21?

Kassadin received three indirect nerfs: the Doran's Shield melee heal reduction, Second Wind losing its flat 3 HP base value, and Catalyst of Aeons dropping from 350 to 300 HP. Together these hit his early survivability, dropping him from the mid-lane top tier to A tier.

Is Naafiri strong in Patch 25.21?

Naafiri is the strongest melee assassin in the mid lane this patch, holding S tier. The key change is her optimal rush item shifting from Eclipse to Voltaic Cyclosword, which synergizes better with her dashing kit and allows multiple energized-attack procs per fight.

How does the Doran's Shield nerf affect the top lane meta?

The melee heal reduction from 45 to 40 HP, combined with Second Wind's flat base value being removed, weakens champions who rely on early-game sustain (Mundo, Nassadin-style tanky laners). Ranged bullies like Teemo, Kennen, Cassiopeia, Jayce, and Gnar benefit most from the shift.