Updated on May 8, 12:08 p.m. (GMT+8): Added new information posted by Riot Phroxzon.
League of Legends Lead Gameplay Designer Matt “Riot Phroxzon” Leung-Harrison posted a preview of LoL patch 25.10 on X.
Riot Phroxzon reflected on patch 25.09, deeming it a successful update, with positive reception for objective and bounty adjustments, Atakhan simplification, new death screen, and role swapping.
While no significant issues with bounties have surfaced yet, the team welcomes any player feedback. Several initial bugs were swiftly addressed. The brief period where Recalling was sellable led to some amusing videos, highlighting the underlying complexity of “shop and persistence through reconnections.”
State of AP mage items in LoL patch 25.10
LoL patch 25.10 introduces major changes to the AP System, aiming to create better balance and a more satisfying experience across different archetype builds like haste, burst, and burn.
A key focus is enhancing item viability for AP users and achieving a more holistic balance. While the strength of Liandry’s Malady prompted these adjustments, simply nerfing it would leave AP items feeling generally weak and unfulfilling, as it was a central item for the class.
Consequently, nerfing Liandry’s and buffing its competitors will also indirectly weaken other frequently paired meta items, such as Rod of Ages.
The game devs are also aiming to establish distinct power curves and timings for different AP classes relative to each other. For instance, early on with just one item, Assassin and fighter-focused items are designed to be cheaper power spikes, though they have less effective multiplicative scaling due to lower AP and slot efficiency.
Conversely, Control and Artillery Mage items are slightly more expensive, but their two-item power spike is significantly stronger because of their multiplicative nature and higher AP values.
Similarly, AD Carries are intended to be powerful around the three-item mark. These changes should add more depth to the game by distributing role agency in a more sustainable way and creating clearer, more understandable power hierarchies for when champions are strong or weak, wrote Riot Phroxzon.
AP mage items undergoing major changes
| AP MAGE ITEMS IN PATCH 25.10 | MAJOR CHANGES |
| Cryptbloom | Designed as the Ability Haste equivalent to Void Staff, it features a more accessible build path but a reduced overall burst potential due to lower penetration. While some fine-tuning may be necessary, it is intended to be well-balanced. |
| Hextech Rocketbelt | Adjusted to better suit fragile champions, such as assassins, by reducing its health contribution (from 350 to 300 HP). |
| Stormsurge | Struggled to establish a distinct role compared to Shadowflame. To address this, Stormsurge is being repositioned as a significantly cheaper option that offers greater snowballing potential through its movespeed, albeit with lower sustained damage output compared to the highest burst builds. This should make it a compelling second-item choice, particularly for mages looking to secure early victories. |
LoL patch 25.10 patch notes
LoL patch 25.10 champion buffs
- Cho’Gath
- Senna
- Smolder
Bot lane Senna is underperforming, wrote Riot Phroxzon, prompting a reintroduction of the minion drop soul modification. Although her Attack Damage build is more commonly favored, its effectiveness for the majority of players is currently lower compared to her Enchanter builds.
LoL patch 25.10 champion nerfs
- Fiddlesticks
- Kayne
- Lulu
- Naafiri
- Xin Zhao
- Yuumi
LoL patch 25.10 champion adjustments
- Vi
Following adjustments to her knockup durations some time ago, Vi has steadily risen to become a dominant force in the jungle.
While the game devs are satisfied with her targeted crowd control — as it effectively manages the increasing mobility of champions — the damage output she achieves as a consequence of this lockdown has become excessive.
Therefore, the team is implementing a reduction to her damage to better align her overall power.
System buffs
- Unsealed spellbook
System adjustments
- Mage items
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