Riot to buff Mordekaiser and Jhin on the MSI 2022 patch

League of Legends patch 12.8 introduces substantial champion enhancements specifically timed for the 2022 Mid-Season Invitational. These strategic adjustments aim to diversify the competitive landscape and introduce fresh tactical possibilities for professional teams.

Community analysts identified significant gameplay modifications through Riot’s preliminary patch notes, revealing comprehensive updates scheduled for Public Beta Environment testing. The development team deliberately engineered these changes to disrupt established meta patterns for the year’s premier international competition, presenting innovative champion reworks.

The buff category showcases particularly dramatic improvements for Mordekaiser and Jhin, positioning these champions as potential meta-defining picks. While multiple characters receive attention, these two stand apart with transformative potential for competitive play dynamics.

Mordekaiser Buffs: Movement Speed Revolution

Mordekaiser historically maintains limited presence in professional circuits, but patch 12.8 potentially revolutionizes his competitive viability. The Iron Revenant gains substantial mobility enhancements through his Darkness Rise passive ability, with movement speed bonuses escalating dramatically at key level thresholds.

Previously, Darkness Rise provided a static 3% movement speed increase regardless of champion level. The revised mechanics now deliver progressive scaling, reaching maximum 9% movement speed at level 11 and beyond. This represents a 200% improvement over previous values at maximum rank.

Despite appearing as a straightforward numerical adjustment, this modification addresses Mordekaiser’s core mobility limitations. As an immobile juggernaut, his effectiveness depends entirely on maintaining proximity to targets to unleash his damage potential. The amplified movement speed enables more reliable target acquisition and sustained engagement during fights.

Advanced players should note that optimal Mordekaiser gameplay now involves strategic level timing awareness. The power spikes at levels 6 and 11 create windows of significant dueling advantage, particularly against kite-heavy compositions. Common mistakes include overestimating mobility before reaching critical level breakpoints or misjudging engagement ranges against mobile opponents.

Jhin receives comprehensive ability modifications designed to enhance his competitiveness against dominant hyper carries. Riot enhances the crowd control duration on Deadly Flourish (W), granting improved target lockdown capabilities as matches progress toward later stages.

Captive Audience (E) undergoes cooldown reduction and, crucially, eliminates damage reduction penalties against jungle monsters for both W and E abilities. This transformation dramatically accelerates Jhin’s jungle clearing speed, raising legitimate questions about his viability in the jungle role.

While professional adoption remains uncertain, solo queue and normal games will likely experience experimentation with jungle Jhin configurations. Players should anticipate approximately 15-20% faster clear times in early jungle routes, though his ganking potency requires careful positioning and shot setup.

Optimal jungle Jhin strategy involves maximizing his fourth shot execution on monsters while utilizing traps for area control. Common mistakes include poor ammunition management during clears and misjudging reload timing windows during gank attempts.

Release Schedule and MSI Preparation

League of Legends update 12.8 is programmed for live server deployment on Wednesday, April 27. During the interim period, participants can experiment with modifications on the PBE, though adjustments remain possible before final implementation.

The 2022 Mid-Season Invitational commences on Tuesday, May 10, providing competing squads with approximately fourteen days to master the tournament patch mechanics. This practice window allows for comprehensive strategy development and champion proficiency building.

Teams should allocate specific practice sessions focusing on Mordekaiser and Jhin matchups, both as potential picks and against them. Strategic preparation should include scrimmage blocks dedicated to understanding the implications of movement speed changes and jungle role expansions.

For Mordekaiser enthusiasts, the movement speed enhancement enables aggressive positioning previously considered untenable. Combine this with ghost summoner spell for maximum engagement potential, particularly against mobile backline threats. Understanding when to trigger passive through ability sequencing becomes crucial for maximizing mobility windows.

Jhin jungle practitioners should prioritize early game survival over aggressive invades. His clear speed improvements don’t compensate for inherent squishiness against early game duelists. Optimal pathing involves full clears with careful trap placement for scouting and objective control.

Both champions benefit from specific itemization adjustments. Mordekaiser gains additional value from movement speed components, while Jhin benefits from jungle-specific enchantments that complement his critical strike mechanics.

Counterplay against buffed Mordekaiser involves disengage compositions and mobility spells, while facing jungle Jhin requires early invasion strategies and vision denial.

No reproduction without permission：Games Guides Website » Riot to buff Mordekaiser and Jhin on the MSI 2022 patch MSI 2022 patch brings major Mordekaiser movement speed buffs and Jhin jungle viability changes