Patch 25.20 Tier List: World's Edition for League of Legends

Patch 25.20: Champion Adjustments and Tier List

Patch 25.20 is the pivotal update for the 2025 League of Legends World Championship, featuring adjustments to 14 champions aimed primarily at professional play. This breakdown covers the tier list by role so you know what to prioritize — and what to ban — heading into Worlds week. All changes reference the official Patch 25.20 notes from Riot Games.

Key Takeaways

• Malphite moved to OP tier in the top lane after base armor increased from 37 to 40 and E damage scaling improved to 80–240.
• Diana dominated the jungle meta going into Worlds — her previous patch buffs put her firmly in OP tier and at the top of the ban list.
• Brier stayed S tier despite her passive stack reduction from 7 to 5, dropping total extended-fight damage by only 27.
• Leblanc and Morgana held the OP tier mid lane for Worlds, with Riot targeting both for nerfs in the subsequent 25.21 patch.
• The ADC meta featured Jinx and Ashe as the preferred picks; Kalista posted a lower-than-average win rate around 46%.
• Support meta was dominated by enchanters — Milio and Nami in OP tier — with mages like Seraphine, Vel'Koz, and Zyra making viable alternatives.

Here is how those key shifts played out role by role, starting with the top lane.

Top Lane Changes

1. Malphite Buffs
   • Base armor increased from 37 to 40.
   • E damage buffed, scaling from 70–230 to 80–240.

   These enhancements push Malphite into the OP tier. The armor buff is particularly impactful because his damage scales directly with armor, making both changes synergistic.

2. Camille Adjustments
   • Armor growth reduced from 5 to 4.5, losing 8 armor at level 18.
   • W cooldown reduced by 2 seconds with a 10 damage increase at all ranks.

   Camille stays in the A tier — slightly stronger offensively, slightly softer defensively. Alongside Malphite in OP, the top lane melee fighters like Jax, Garen, Darius, and Aatrox remain popular picks despite no direct adjustments this patch.

With those top lane changes in context, here is how the jungle meta shifted this patch.

Jungle Changes

Pantheon Buffs

• Q Monster Damage: Increased from 75% to 80%.
• W Minion and Monster Damage: Increased from 120% to 150%.

Despite the improvements following past nerfs, Pantheon maintains C tier with only a modest win rate improvement, remaining less competitive than the dominant jungle picks.

Briar Nerfs

• Passive Stack Reduction: From 7 to 5 stacks.

This only slightly reduces Briar's damage output — a manageable drop of 27 damage during extended fights — so she stays in S tier.

Here is a concise table summarizing the key changes for top jungle champions:

Graves, Diana, Wukong, and the broader jungle roster also saw changes this patch — covered in detail below.

Jungle Full Roster Breakdown

1. Graves Buffs: Graves received broad improvements, rising from B to A tier. His enhanced jungle presence makes him a solid pick for players looking to diversify away from the dominant assassins.
2. Wukong Adjustments: The Q bonus AD ratio drops from 55% to 50%, W cooldown increases by two seconds across all ranks, and W damage decreases by 5%. E damage improves from 80–200 to 80–240, offsetting some early-game impact but potentially weakening mid-game team fights. Wukong moves from S to A tier.
3. Diana's Dominance: Diana is the standout jungle pick and the top ban candidate entering Worlds. Her previous-patch buffs have solidified OP tier status with no signs of dropping.
4. Other Jungle Picks: Despite nerfs to Volibear, Briar, and Warwick, all three remain robust S tier options. The jungle meta entering Worlds offers strong diversity:
   • Assassins: Kayn, Ekko, and Diana lead the pack.
   • Fighters: Volibear, Briar, Jax, and Bel'Veth.
   • Tanks: Amumu and Nunu hold strong after recent buffs.

Mid lane saw targeted adjustments to multiple champions for the Worlds meta, detailed below.

Mid Lane Adjustments

1. Anivia Buffs: Q cooldown reduced and E base damage increased by five at all ranks. Anivia reinforces her high S tier standing.
2. Katarina's Armor Increase: Base armor rises from 28 to 32, giving her more resilience against poke-heavy matchups like Zed and Talon. She stays S tier.
3. Veigar Buffs: W receives a 10% AP ratio increase. The power boost does not push him into S tier — Veigar remains A tier.
4. Orianna's Nerfs: W base damage reduced, weakening her W-max path. A slight AP ratio boost nudges her toward offensive builds but the net impact puts her in B tier with weakened solo queue performance.
5. Azir's Challenges: W AP ratio changes and adjusted multi-target damage represent a net early-game nerf. Azir stays C tier.
6. Fizz Buffs: W damage increases, counteracting reduced R max damage at level six. Net positive changes push Fizz to S tier.

Those adjustments shape the mid-lane standings for Worlds week.

Mid Lane Tier List

• OP Tier: Morgana, Diana, and Leblanc hold OP tier entering Worlds.
• S Tier: Anivia and Fizz after buffs; Katarina remains a consistent high-performer.
• A and B Tiers: Veigar in A tier; Orianna in B tier after her nerf.

Leblanc and Morgana are flagged by Riot for nerfs in the 25.21 patch after Worlds. Both remain strong picks for climbing solo queue through the Worlds period and are the primary mid-lane targets to counter-pick if possible.

Counter Strategies for the Worlds Meta

• Against Leblanc: Malzahar and Vex offer reliable counters, providing resilience against her burst-heavy combo patterns.
• Against Morgana: Zed and Akshan can exploit her predictable lane positioning with AD damage and mobility, bypassing her shield-focused kit.

Players looking to climb while the Worlds meta is live can find champion-specific coaching and rank boost services on the League of Legends boost page.

ADC and Support Observations

The ADC role saw no direct changes in Patch 25.20. Jinx and Ashe remain the preferred picks, consistently outperforming the field. Kalista posts a lower win rate around 46%, reflecting the ongoing difficulty of her kit's skill ceiling and coordination demands.

For supports, Riot left the field unchanged this patch. The meta favors enchanters and mages, with Milio and Nami dominating the OP tier. Recent buffs restored Seraphine, Vel'Koz, Brand, and Zyra to viable status — solid alternatives to purely ADC-dependent compositions.

Support Tier Summary

• OP Tier Enchanters: Milio and Nami.
• Viable Mages: Seraphine, Vel'Koz, Brand, Zyra.
• Lagging Engage Supports: Alistar, Rakan, and Nautilus are down; Leona remains an exception, holding up on the strength of her lockdown and past buff residuals.

This patch holds many paradigms steady while fine-tuning the Worlds-specific picks. The most important meta conclusions: Diana is the ban priority in the jungle, Leblanc and Morgana own the mid-lane picks before their 25.21 nerfs, and Jinx remains the safest ADC for climbing through Worlds week.

FAQ

What is Patch 25.20 in League of Legends?

Patch 25.20 is the designated Worlds patch for the 2025 League of Legends World Championship. Riot used this update to fine-tune 14 champions with balance adjustments primarily aimed at professional play, creating the meta Worlds teams competed in during the tournament.

Who were the strongest picks in Patch 25.20?

Diana and Malphite stood out as the power picks entering Worlds. Diana occupied the OP tier as the top jungle priority and leading ban candidate. Malphite moved to OP tier in the top lane on the strength of his armor and E damage buffs. In mid lane, Leblanc and Morgana held OP tier and were marked for nerfs in the following patch.

Was Diana nerfed in Patch 25.20?

No. Diana received no direct nerfs in Patch 25.20 — she carried forward the buffs from a previous patch that solidified her OP tier status. Riot's next planned adjustment was in 25.21 after the tournament concluded.

What happened to Wukong in Patch 25.20?

Wukong received mixed adjustments: Q AD ratio dropped from 55% to 50%, W cooldown increased by two seconds, and W damage decreased by 5%. His E damage improved from 80–200 to 80–240. The net result was a drop from S to A tier, with his jungle clear speed and early-game skirmishing slightly weaker than the prior patch.

Is Kalista viable in Patch 25.20?

Kalista remains one of the more difficult ADC picks to execute, posting a win rate around 46% in Patch 25.20. Her kit demands tight coordination with a support and precise mechanical execution that limits her viability in solo queue compared to lower-skill-floor options like Jinx or Ashe.

What ADC champions were strongest in Patch 25.20?

Jinx and Ashe were the dominant ADC choices in Patch 25.20, consistently outperforming the rest of the role. The ADC pool saw no direct changes this patch, making it one of the more stable roles entering Worlds compared to mid, jungle, and top which all had targeted adjustments.