Complete breakdown of League Patch 14.5 with champion updates, item changes, and strategic insights
Patch 14.5 Overview and Release Timeline
League of Legends Patch 14.5 introduces substantial modifications to the competitive landscape, featuring comprehensive adjustments to multiple champion kits and core itemization options. This update represents Riot’s continued effort to refine gameplay balance following the sweeping changes introduced earlier this season.
League’s latest update brings transformative changes to several underperforming champions while fine-tuning the item ecosystem to address emerging balance concerns.
The approaching League of Legends patch marks a significant milestone in the current competitive season, delivering targeted adjustments that will reshape champion viability across multiple roles. Patch 14.5 incorporates player feedback from recent tournaments and ranked play to create a more diverse and balanced gameplay experience.
Rek’Sai receives compensatory enhancements following her underwhelming mini-rework in the previous patch, addressing community concerns about her reduced combat effectiveness.
The global deployment for League of Legends Patch 14.5 commences on March 6, 2024, following Riot’s established update cadence. Oceanic servers will receive the patch first, with regional deployments progressing throughout the day across all major server clusters.
Players should prepare for these critical server maintenance periods during Patch 14.5 rollout:
Maintenance downtime typically spans several hours once patching initiates, with ranked and normal matchmaking queues deactivating approximately three hours before the scheduled maintenance window begins.
Champion Balance Updates and Meta Impact
Seraphine’s ongoing identity crisis reaches a potential resolution in this patch. Originally designed for mid-lane dominance, the champion experienced fluctuating success rates across multiple roles before settling as a dominant bot lane presence. These latest modifications aim to recalibrate her scaling dynamics and role flexibility.
Rek’Sai struggles significantly following her Patch 14.4 mini-rework, which traded substantial damage output for enhanced mobility and crowd control capabilities. Combined with several persistent technical issues, these changes left the Void burrower in an unfavorable position. Riot addresses these concerns through accelerated basic attacks and additional quality-of-life improvements.
Passive: Death in Lavender
Bugfix: Corrected an issue causing Bel’Veth to accumulate three stacks per Epic Void monster. She now properly receives two Death in Lavender stacks per Void Grub (totaling six for all three grubs) and two for Rift Herald
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Damage Reduction: 42/49/56/63/70% ⇒ 35/40/45/50/55%
Damage to Monsters: 200% ⇒ 215%
Damage per Hit: 100/200/300 (+25% AP) ⇒ 100/175/250 (+25% AP)
Cooldown: 105/90/75 ⇒ 110/100/90 seconds
Damage: 25/30/35/40/45 (+30% AP) ⇒ 25/30/35/40/45 (+25% AP)
Armor Growth: 4.8 ⇒ 5.2
Cooldown: 10/9.5/9/8.5/8 seconds ⇒ 10/9/8/7/6 seconds
Passive: The Darkin Scythe
Darkin Bonus – Healing: 25% ⇒ 25% (+0.5% per 100 Bonus Health
Darkin Form Healing: 65% of damage dealt ⇒ 75% of damage dealt)
Passive: Icathian Surprise
Bonus Movement Speed: 0-40% over 4 seconds ⇒ 10-50% over 4 seconds
Cast Time: 0.25 seconds ⇒ now matches Kog’Maw’s auto attack frame time
Slow: 30/35/40/45/50% ⇒ 40/45/50/55/60%
Minimum Damage: 100/140/180 (+65% bonus AD) (+35% AP) ⇒ 100/140/180 (+75% bonus AD) (+35% AP)
Base Movement Speed: 335 ⇒ 330
Bonus Damage to Monsters: 80/100/120/140/160 ⇒ 120/130/140/150/160
Cooldown: 13/12/11/10/9 ⇒ 14/13/12/11/10 seconds
Base Movement Speed: 340 ⇒ 335
Bonus Damage to Hunted Targets: 40% ⇒ 30%
Attack Windup: 26.67% (+100% Attack Speed) ⇒ 20% (+60% Attack Speed) (Note: This means attacks take 25% less time to fully animate at level 1, down to 3% less time with Stridebreaker, runes, and Q active at level 18.)
Basic Attack Cast Frame: 12 ⇒ 10 (Note: This means attacks deal their damage about 20% earlier in the animation.)
Critical Strike Cast Frame: 9 ⇒ 10
QoL Change: Attacks can no longer be canceled mid-attack, now matches most other empowered attacks
Cast Frame: 12 ⇒ 9 (Note: This means the attack strikes the target about 33% earlier in the animation.)
Bugfix: Attacks now stack Spear of Shojin when hitting only one champion
[NEW] An Uplifting Change: Unburrow will now knock up all Large Monsters in range if they’re eligible
[NEW] An Non-Lifting Uplifting Change: Unburrow can now damage (but not knock up) targets who were recently knocked up and immune to Unburrow
Bugfix: Fixed a bug where Rek’Sai could stop auto-attacking after burrowing and quickly unburrowing
E: Tunnel/ Furious Bite
Bugfix In Progress: Reduced the frequency of a bug that caused Rek’Sai to occasionally fail to dash when crossing walls. We’ll be keeping an eye out for more instances of this bug occurring and work to resolve them as we’re able to.
100 Fury Bonus Damage: 6/8/10/12/14% of target’s maximum health ⇒ 8/9.5/11/12.5/14% of target’s maximum health
Monster Bonus Damage Cap: 60-400 (based on level) ⇒ 75-400 (based on level)
Damage: 100/250/400 (+100% bonus AD) (+20/25/30% of target’s missing health) ⇒ 150/300/450 (+100% bonus AD) (+25/30/35% of target’s missing health)
Damage: 30/60/90/120/150 (+50% bonus AD) ⇒ 30/60/90/120/150 (+40% bonus AD)
Movement speed: 325 ⇒ 330
Mana Regeneration: 0.4 ⇒ 0.95
Passive: Stage Presence
Damage: 5/10/18/30 (+5% AP) (levels 1/6/11/16) ⇒ 4-25 (based on level, linear) (+4% AP)
[REM] 300% minion damage modifier has been removed
Missile Speed: 1200 ⇒ 1300
Cooldown: 10/8.75/7.5/6.25/5 ⇒ 8/7.5/7/6.5/6 seconds
Mana Cost: 65/70/75/80/85 ⇒ 60/70/80/90/100
Damage: 55/80/105/130/155 (+50% AP) ⇒ 60/85/110/135/160 (+50% AP)
Maximum Damage Amp based on Missing Health: 50% ⇒ 60%
[REM] Damage amp no longer affects non-champions
[REM] No longer prevents minions from dying to other minions while in flight
Cooldown: 28/25/22/19/16 ⇒ 22/21/20/19/18 seconds
Mana Cost: 80/85/90/95/100 ⇒ 70/75/80/85/90
Shield: 50/75/100/125/150 (+20% AP) ⇒ 60/85/110/135/160 (+20% AP)
Seraphine Bonus Movement Speed: 20% (+4% AP) ⇒ 20% (+2% AP)
Cooldown: 10 ⇒ 11/10.5/10/9.5/9 seconds
Mana Cost: 60/65/70/75/80 ⇒ 60 at all ranks
Damage: 60/95/130/165/200 (+35% AP) ⇒ 70/100/130/160/190 (+50% AP)
Slow Duration: 1.25 ⇒ 1.1/1.2/1.3/1.4/1.5 seconds
Minion Damage: 100% ⇒ 70%
Damage: 150/200/250 (+60% AP) ⇒ 150/200/250 (+40% AP)
Cooldown: 160/130/100 ⇒ 160/140/120 seconds
Frame data on basic attacks has been adjusted to better match Smolder’s animations.
Q: Super Scorcher Breath
3rd Upgrade Bonus True Damage: 6.5% of target’s maximum health ⇒ +2% bonus AD (+1% AP) (+0.8% of Dragon Patience Stacks) of target’s maximum health
Number of Bolts: 5-10 (based on critical strike chance) ⇒ 5 (+1 per 50 Dragon Patience Stacks)
Damage: 225/350/475 (+110% bonus AD) (+100% AP) ⇒ 200/300/400 (+110% bonus AD) (+100% AP)
Sweet Spot Increased Damage Multiplier: 30% ⇒ 50%
Self Heal: 110/160/210 (+75% AP) ⇒ 100/135/170 (+50% bonus AD) (+75% AP)
Bonus Attack Speed: 10/22.5/35/47.5/60% ⇒ 10/20/30/40/50%
Bonus Damage: 65/90/115/140/165 (+75% bonus AD) (+40% AP) ⇒ 65/90/115/140/165 (+20% bonus AD) (+40% AP)
Passive: Night Hunter
Bonus Movement Speed: 45 ⇒ 30 (Note: Bonus movement speed during Final Hour will be unchanged at 90.)
Cooldown: 4/3.5/3/2.5/2 ⇒ 6/5/4/3/2 seconds
Damage: 80/120/160/200/240 (+45/50/55/60/65% AP) ⇒ 80/120/160/200/240 (+50/55/60/65/70% AP)
Cooldown: 120/90/60 ⇒ 100/80/60 seconds
Passive: Doom n’ Gloom
Gloom Detonation Damage: 30-140 (based on level) (+20% AP) ⇒ 40-150 (based on level) (+25% AP)
[NEW] Killing units with Looming Darkness now grants Doom ‘n Gloom’s passive refund.
Maximum Number of Stacks: 10 ⇒ 5
Percent Amplification per Stack: 50% ⇒ 100%
Stack Falloff Rate: All at once ⇒ One at a time
Passive: Shepherd of Souls
Tooltip clarified to state that only Mist Walkers take reduced damage from monsters.
Cursed Bonus Damage for 8 Attacks: 30% ⇒ 20%
R: Eulogy of the Isles
Maiden Armor and Magic Resist: 10-50 (based on level) ⇒ 30-90 (based on level)
[REM] Maiden no longer reduces Area of Effect damage by 50%.
Tooltip now clarifies that Maiden takes 70% less damage from lane minions.
Bugfix: Maiden’s 1/2/3% maximum health damage no longer bypasses Evasion like
Shen’s W. (Note: Blind, Dodge, and Evasion all work appropriately against the rest of Maiden’s attacks.)
Damage: 35/50/65/80/95 (+4/5/6/7/8% (+3% per 100 AP) of target’s maximum health) ⇒ 40/50/60/70/80 (+4/5/6/7/8% (+3% per 100 AP) of target’s maximum health)
Cooldown: 20 ⇒ 18 seconds
Slow Duration: 1.5 ⇒ 2 seconds
Slow Strength: 50% ⇒ 60%
Item System Changes and Build Optimization
Blue Bubble Damage Reduction: 140 ⇒ 75-255 (levels 6-18)
Purple Bubble Bonus Damage: 90 ⇒ 50-170 (levels 6-18)
Total Price: 2400 gold ⇒ 2500 gold
Proc Bonus Damage: 100 (+10% bonus health from items) ⇒ 80 (+12% bonus health from items)
Ornn item no longer grants +25 ability haste
Pickaxe replaced by B.F. Sword, cost unchanged
AD increased: 60 >>> 65
Cooldown: 20 ⇒ 30 seconds
Bonus Health: 7% of maximum health ⇒ 50-230 (levels 6-18)
Bonus Movement Speed: 30% ⇒ 25%
Item tracker flavor text updated
Spells now only grant 1 stack per cast, up to 1 per second for spells that deal damage over time
Attack-based spells now add a stack and get their damage improved by the spell amp
Damage from champion passives should no longer grant stacks for Focused Will
Immolate Base Damage: 12 ⇒ 15
Spellblade Damage: 75% base AD (+50% AP) ⇒ 75% base AD (+45% AP)
Movement Speed: +5% ⇒ +8%
Total Price: 2500 ⇒ 2600
Ability Power: 60 ⇒ 70
The item ecosystem receives targeted adjustments to address balance concerns that emerged following previous patches. Titanic Hydra undergoes significant restructuring with changed components and adjusted scaling, while several AP items see cost and stat modifications to better align with their intended power curves.
Gameplay Strategies and Meta Predictions
Understanding how to adapt to these changes separates average players from strategic masters. The Seraphine modifications demand a complete reassessment of her optimal positioning and itemization paths. Players should experiment with her new scaling patterns in different roles to identify the most effective playstyle.
Common Strategic Mistakes to Avoid:
- Continuing to build Seraphine with traditional support items despite her changed scaling
- Underestimating Rek’Sai’s improved early game dueling potential
- Ignoring the economic implications of item cost increases when planning build paths
- Failing to adapt jungle clear patterns to account for champion-specific monster damage changes
Advanced Optimization Techniques:
- Leverage Seraphine’s modified Stage Presence passive for improved wave management in mid lane
- Utilize Rek’Sai’s improved Unburrow mechanics for more efficient jungle clears and objective control
- Adjust Smolder build paths to maximize the changed scaling on his Super Scorcher Breath
- Experiment with new Yorick strategies that capitalize on the Maiden’s enhanced durability
The meta will likely shift toward champions who benefit from the item changes while punishing those who struggle with the new economic constraints. Players who quickly adapt to these modifications will gain significant competitive advantages in the early days of the patch cycle.
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