Butcher’s Bridge in ARAM, Urgot and Kayle nerfed in LoL patch 9.7

League of Legends enthusiasts are experiencing substantial gameplay modifications in the latest update, featuring rune adjustments, item reworks, champion balancing, and a complete ARAM transformation.

The newly deployed Patch 9.7 introduces the highly anticipated Butcher’s Bridge environment replacing standard ARAM matches, alongside comprehensive updates to champions Kayle and Urgot that will reshape competitive dynamics.

Butcher’s Bridge makes its third annual appearance, marking the first return since the 2018 Curse of the Drowned limited-time event. Teams must advance through the pirate-inspired single lane to eliminate the opponent’s nexus while completing six distinct secondary objectives that add strategic depth.

These specialized missions focus on achieving eliminations, accumulating gold reserves, and destroying enemy structures, with victory in matches automatically progressing completion. Successful participants earn exclusive rewards including Hextech Keys, Masterwork Chests, and the Bilgewater 2019 Icon. The limited-time engagement spans from April 4 through April 15, with comprehensive event information available on the official event portal.

Even players who typically avoid ARAM modes will encounter significant gameplay alterations through extensive balance modifications affecting multiple champion categories.

Kayle emerges as the most substantially impacted champion, enduring ability reductions across most skills for the second consecutive update. Radiant Blast now consumes additional mana at every rank, while Celestial Blessing provides reduced movement speed bonuses with mana costs reconfigured from 70/90 to 60/100. Starfire Spellblade’s additional damage undergoes recalibration, decreasing the missing health percentage component while gaining amplified scaling through ability power ratios.

Concurrent with Kayle’s reductions, Urgot experiences rollbacks of previous enhancements. Echoing Flames’ percentage-based damage decreases at elevated levels, shifting from 2-8% to 2-6% maximum health damage. Disdain incurs higher mana expenditure with extended cooldowns during early levels, and Fear Beyond Death suffers a flat 25 damage reduction across all ranks.

While both major champion reworks implemented nerfs, the simplified adjustments category delivered numerous minor buffs to Azir, Dr. Mundo, Cho’Gath, Rumble, Pyke, Leona, and Garen. However, the changes weren’t universally positive, as Lissandra, Morgana, and Sylas received slight performance reductions.

Three essential items undergo significant modifications that will influence build paths and strategic decisions throughout matches.

Cinderhulk delivers enhanced effectiveness for jungle specialists, gaining a substantial 50% augmentation to bonus damage against minions and neutral monsters. The Dark Seal experiences reduced resale value, diminishing its attractiveness as an independent purchase. Meanwhile, Wit’s End receives comprehensive alterations that increase its gold cost while providing superior scaling potential during extended engagements.

These item adjustments necessitate revised strategic approaches: Cinderhulk now enables faster jungle clears for tank-oriented champions, Dark Seal becomes less viable for early game snowballing strategies, and Wit’s End transitions into a more specialized option for magic resistance and on-hit damage builds.

Strategic adaptation to these changes requires understanding several key gameplay adjustments. For jungle mains, the Cinderhulk enhancement means clearing camps approximately 15-20 seconds faster, enabling more frequent gank opportunities. However, attempting to build Dark Seal as an early standalone item now represents a common strategic error due to its diminished resale efficiency.

Advanced players should prioritize champions who benefit from the item changes while avoiding those significantly weakened by the balance adjustments. The Urgot and Kayle nerfs particularly impact their early game dominance, making them vulnerable to aggressive lane opponents during the initial 10-15 minutes.

When exploring champion selections, consult our comprehensive Class Guide for optimal role assignments. Additionally, understanding weapon synergies through our Weapons Unlock resource can maximize your effectiveness with the updated itemization options.

The complete transformation details and additional gameplay adjustments require thorough examination. The exhaustive change compilation remains accessible through Riot Games’ official League of Legends platform.

No reproduction without permission：Games Guides Website » Butcher’s Bridge in ARAM, Urgot and Kayle nerfed in LoL patch 9.7 League of Legends Patch 9.7 brings Butcher's Bridge ARAM event and major champion balance adjustments