LoL patch 14.18 release date: Solo queue is going to look very different soon

The LoL patch 14.18 release date is approaching, and it brings massive changes to the League of Legends meta, especially for professional play.

As the 18th patch of Season 14, it introduces a range of updates, including champion buffs, nerfs, and system adjustments.

Screenshot of Warriors Worlds 2014 music video, a featured image for ONE Esports article "Why ‘Warriors’ by Imagine Dragons is still the best Worlds song ever" — Credit: ONE Esports, Riot Games

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Here’s a preview of what to expect when LoL patch 14.18 goes live.

LoL patch 14.18 preview

LoL patch 14.18 is a major update for League of Legends that impacts the meta for this year’s World Championship (Worlds). The patch includes several champion balance adjustments, with 13 champions receiving buffs and 17 champions being nerfed.

One of the biggest changes in patch 14.18 addresses the prevalence of lane swaps in professional League of Legends. Teams have become increasingly adept at utilizing and avoiding lane swaps to maximize their early game advantages. This has often led to situations where teams are willing to sacrifice multiple plates to avoid unfavorable matchups, resulting in low-interaction games.

To counter this, Riot introduces changes that make it more difficult to take the first plate in the top lane while increasing the importance of plates dropped in the bottom lane, especially after the first crash. This intends to promote more balanced and engaging laning phases, which are more enjoyable for both players and Worlds viewers.

Tristana, Malphite, Ekko, Katarina, and Morgana in ONE Esports featured image for article "Exclusive: Why is League of Legends solo queue and pro play so different? It’s not what you think" — Credit: ONE Esports, Riot Games

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Riot also makes adjustments to AP items, ensuring a more balanced mage build landscape. While Liandry’s Torment is considered relatively strong, other AP items are seen as too weak or inefficient. To address this, Riot reduces the Stormsurge threshold on these items, making it easier for mages to proc the effect, especially compared to melee champions.

Fleet Footwork is nerfed for ranged champions, as it is making it too difficult to engage ADCs in the mid lane. To compensate for the overnerf to the rune for melee champions, Riot is adjusting melee healing to bring it back to its previous level.

League of Legends champions Alistar, Ezreal, Nocturne, Ahri, Teemo, Graves, Blitzcrank, Annie, Katarina in splashart wallpaper — Credit: Riot Games

Bloodthirster and Shieldbow receive nerfs for ranged champions. While these items are considered too durable on certain champions, Riot’s intention is not to weaken them but to create a more balanced state for ADCs and melee champions who build these items.

Read the full LoL patch 14.18 notes here which include the full list of nerfs, buffs, and adjustments to champions and the system.

LoL patch 14.18 release date

The LoL patch 14.18 release date is on Wednesday, September 11, 2024 (PT).

This update serves as the patch used for the Worlds 2024 tournament. In addition to the competitive meta changes, patch 14.18 also introduces two new skins: Janitor Thresh and Lawyer Azir.