In a recent LoL Quick Gameplay Thoughts update, Riot Axes revealed some new information on how the LoL team wants to go about making champion buffs and nerfs more healthy for League of Legends.
Riot Axes explained in a new Dev Post how the team approaches both nerfs and buffs and how Riot is switching things up in the future. This will have a slight effect on players, but it shouldn't be too noticeable according to him.
So, what exactly is Riot going to be changing in terms of their buffing strategy, and how will it impact players all over the globe who want to play some League? Let's find out.
League of Legends Buffing Strategy Revealed
Riot Axes explained that there are "two types" of champion buffs that they usually use when they make adjustments to weaker champions. He also said that for some nerfs are also approached in a similar manner, but focused mostly on buffs in League of Legends.
Basically, there are "bucket changes" which are quick adjustments when a champion's win rate is too high and Riot decides that some of the numbers on the champion need to be adjusted. So they look for "safe number changes" that can easily predict the outcome of the champion's win rate later.
Will Riot be buffing mages in the future in such a way?
The other set of changes are "patch work" which are long term changes which also take longer to implement. Bucket changes usually take a day, while patch work changes can take one or two weeks depending on the buff Riot is implementing.
- You need the best setup? So pick up the perfect gaming laptop for on-the-road League of Legends!
Patch work buffs aim to target a bigger problem for certain champions, improving parts of the champions' gameplay as well according to Riot Axes. That's why these changes also take longer to implement, since they're on a grander scale than mere number adjustments.
More Emphasis Being Placed on Patch Work Buffs
So, what exactly will change? Riot Axes has explained that recently, the team has decided to focus on more patch work buffs. This won't mean that we aren't getting any new number-based buffs, but there will be bigger adjustments coming throughout the year.
More of our changes for the next few patches will be aimed at improving the feel of a champion rather than simply increasing their win rate through numbers tweaks
This could be related to the slow changes and updates for mages in the mid lane that Riot have already talked about previously. Instead of just buffing numbers on mages, Riot is looking to improve their gameplay and to make them "more fun" to play.