Riot rolls out emergency LoL hotfixes as Feats of Strength snowball meta takes over

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In the first few days of a fresh League of Legends season and year, there are numerous updates for players to adapt to. One major change is the introduction of Feats of Strength, however, its impact has been so substantial that Riot Games has implemented immediate adjustments.

If you’re new to this, Feats of Strength is a fresh feature that involves teams competing to accomplish any two out of three tasks – obtaining the first kill (First Blood), destroying the first turret, or slaying three powerful jungle monsters (Epic monster camps).

As a fan, I’m thrilled to discover that seizing this opportunity will grant us exclusive access to Tier 3 boots before any other team. These aren’t just upgraded versions of the usual Berserker’s Greaves or Sorcerer’s Shoes; they represent a significant leap forward in our equipment, offering unparalleled advantages on the battlefield.

Regrettably, the benefit from this feature turned out to be much larger than Riot Games initially anticipated. As a quick solution, they’ve released an update intended to make the gameplay more balanced for all teams.

Feats of Strength rewards get some nerfs

Over the past 12 matches since the start of the latest season, I’ve emerged victorious in seven games and suffered defeat in five. Interestingly, each victory followed my triumph in the Feats of Strength race, whereas all losses transpired when I wasn’t equipped with the boosted gear.

As a gamer, I’ve noticed a significant boost in my gameplay since the latest updates. Riot seems to have picked up on this too, because they’ve swiftly adjusted the stats on T3 boots, making them less powerful. Also, some Champions have seen their performance in Swiftplay dialed back a notch or two. It’s anecdotal, but the impact is undeniable!

The full list of changes is as follows:

  • Bloody Roses Bloody Rose Spawn Rate from Gloom (Champion Deaths): Slightly reduced Bloody Rose Spawn Rate from Atakhan’s Pit: Slightly reduced
  • Armored Advance Shield Amount: 10-140 (based on level) + 4% max health ⇒ 10- 120 (based on level) + 4% max health Shield Cooldown: 12 ⇒ 15 seconds
  • Chainlaced Crushers Shield Amount: 10-140 (based on level) + 4% max health ⇒ 10- 120 (based on level) + 4% max health Shield Cooldown: 12 ⇒ 15 seconds
  • Spellslinger’s Shoes Magic Penetration: 19 ⇒ 18 Percentage Magic Penetration: 10% ⇒ 8%
  • Swiftmarch Movement Speed: 75 ⇒ 70
  • Triumphant Sorcerer’s Shoes Bonus Magic Penetration: 4 ⇒ 2 Total Magic Penetration: 16 ⇒ 14
  • Swiftplay Changes
    • Atakhan Adjusted the thresholds required for Atakhan’s Ruinous form to spawn in Swiftplay so that he should now appear more often.
    • Jarvan IV Armor Growth: 5.2 ⇒ 4.7 Q Damage: 80/120/160/200/240 (+ 140% bonus AD) ⇒ 70/110/150/190/230 (+ 140% bonus AD)
    • Kayle Attack Speed Growth: 1.5% ⇒ 1% Attack Damage Growth: 2.5 ⇒ 2 W Movement Speed: 24-40% (+ 8% AP) ⇒ 24-32% (+ 8% AP)
    • Seraphine Health Growth: 90 ⇒ 95 E Damage: 70-190 (+ 50% AP) ⇒ 70-210 (+ 60% AP)
    • Vex Passive Damage: 40-150 (+ 25% AP) ⇒ 40-150 (+ 40% AP) W Damage: 80-240 (+ 30% AP) ⇒ 80-240 (+ 50% AP)
    • Viktor Health Growth: 100 ⇒ 92 R Damage per Tick: 65/105/145 (+ 45% AP) ⇒ 60/100/140 (+ 40% AP)
    • Ziggs Q Damage: 85/135/185/235/285 (+ 65% AP) ⇒ 85/135/185/235/285 (+ 75% AP) W Cooldown: 20/18/16/14/12 ⇒ 18/16/14/12/10 seconds

More changes are on the way

The modifications in the Feats of Strength aren’t ending with the current setup; you’ll need to adjust accordingly. On Twitter/X, the lead gameplay designer, Matt Leung-Harrison, announced that the team is actively planning to swap out First Blood as a Feat.

Exciting news! I’ve got the scoop on Patch 15.1b being live now! Although we’re still working on replacing First Blood as a Feat, that update won’t go live until patches 15.2 or 15.3 (still under wraps). In the meantime, rest assured that we’re keeping a close eye on player feedback and aiming to make things even better for everyone. Stay tuned!

— Matt Leung-Harrison (@RiotPhroxzon) January 11, 2025

The specific appearance isn’t defined yet, but the modification we’re talking about won’t be deployed on live servers until versions 15.2 or 15.3, which means you probably won’t notice any changes for at least two weeks.

Initially, Riot is shifting its focus elsewhere, but these early days have witnessed one of the craziest snowball meta phases in the game’s lifetime. Since matches are often decided within the first quarter of an hour, it may be prudent to put off that late-game build for now and focus on strategies that can quickly turn the tide in your favor.

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2025-01-12 16:06