League of Legends patch 12.17 notes: Mid lane meta shift, three major champion updates

League of Legends patch 12.17 is here, and it’s a big one as Riot gives the meta a shake-up ahead of Worlds 2022. Three major champion updates for Maokai, Miss Fortune, and Hecarim headline the changes, but there are meta shifts across the map: here’s the full patch notes.

Hype is building for Worlds 2022 as League of Legends teams across the globe grind their way to the biggest stage of all. Riot is trying to keep things fresh in-game to make for an interesting month of action, and that’s where League of Legends patch 12.17 comes in.

After a few smaller updates as regions finished their qualification processes, LoL patch 12.17 is the major meta shifter ahead of the World Championship. Three champions are being significantly overhauled ⁠— not quite like the Udyr rework, however ⁠— and the mid-lane will receive a number of tweaks to shake things up there.

Here’s what you need to know about LoL patch 12.17.

Ahri is one of five mid laners facing direct changes in LoL patch 12.17.

What’s changed in LoL patch 12.17?

Major updates to Maokai, Miss Fortune, and Hecarim

With mid-scope updates seeing great success and Riot pushing for more, three more League of Legends champions are receiving significant adjustments in LoL patch 12.17. The changes for Maokai, Miss Fortune, and Hecarim aren’t quite mid-scope updates ⁠— but they’re close.

Maokai is getting a leg-up to push him out of support and across the map in top and jungle. This will be a relief to long-time mains of the Twisted Treant, who have had to deal with his overloaded support kit forcing him into the bot lane for some time.

Hecarim and Miss Fortune’s adjustments aim to push their builds back towards their intended identities. Hecarim will be less of a tank or assassin, and more of a bruiser brawling in the middle of team fights. Miss Fortune will be incentivized to build more marksman-style items too, instead of the lethality build that has become popular.

Miss Fortune’s changes will buff her marksman-style builds.

Mid lane meta change: Azir, Ahri nerfed with Kassadin and Twisted Fate buffs

Riot has been tinkering with the League of Legends meta lane-by-lane over the last couple of months. First, it was some top lane changes to move away from tanks, then some bot lane changes to stop the high Zeri-Sivir priority at all levels of play.

The mid lane is now the developer’s focus heading into Worlds 2022. Five mid lane champions are in Riot’s sights with three nerfs and two buffs. Azir, Ahri, and Sylas fall into the former group, with their durability taking the biggest hit with Azir facing more damage-focused nerfs.

As for buffs, Twisted Fate and Kassadin are getting some smaller changes. Kassadin’s Q will cost less mana and have a lower cooldown, while Twisted Fate’s Q will deal more damage, with W costing less mana to get those empowered autos.

That plus changes to Stopwatch and Zhonya’s Hourglass ⁠— both becoming more expensive, but more value being put into the full item ⁠— could see some variations in both mid lane picks, and how they are itemized.

Azir has risen up in popularity during the latter half of League of Legends Season 12.

New Zenith Games skins

The Zenith Games are here in Runeterra, and some of League of Legends’ greatest sporting stars are donning their regalia. Blitzcrank, Jayce, and Lee Sin headline the brand new sports-themed skin line launching in LoL patch 12.17.

Each skin will launch with eight additional Chroma cosmetics differing from the default darker tones.

There is also an unrelated skin dropping for Viego. Named King Viego, it reverts the Ruined King into his human, Isolde-loving form before he was corrupted.

You can find the full LoL patch 12.17 notes below.

LoL patch 12.17 notes

Champions

Ahri

E: Charm

• Charm duration: 1.4/1.55/1.7/1.85/2 seconds ⇒ 1.2/1.4/1.6/1.8/2 seconds

Azir

W: Arise!

• Sand Soldier Damage: 50-150 (based on level) (+60% AP) ⇒ 50-150 (based on level) (+55% AP)

E: Shifting Sands

• Cooldown: 19/18/17/16/15 seconds ⇒ 22/20.5/19/17.5/16 seconds

Camille

Passive: Adaptive Defenses

• Max health shield: 17% ⇒ 20%

E: Hookshot

• Damage: 60/95/130/165/200 (+75% bonus AD) ⇒ 80/110/140/170/200 (+90% bonus AD)

Ezreal

E: Arcane Shift

• Cooldown: 28/25/22/19/16 seconds ⇒ 26/23/20/17/14 seconds

Graves

Q: End of the Line

• Cooldown: 12/11/10/9/8 seconds ⇒ 13/11.5/10/8.5/7 seconds

R: Collateral Damage

• Damage: 250/400/550 (+150% bonus AD) ⇒ 275/425/575 (+150% bonus AD)

Hecarim

Base Stats

• Base Armor: 35 ⇒ 32
• HP Growth: 104 ⇒ 99

Q: Rampage

• Damage: 60/90/120/150/180 (+90% bonus AD) ⇒ 60/85/110/135/160 (+95% bonus AD)35/160 (+95% bAD)
• Damage per stack: 2% (+3% per 100 bonus AD) ⇒ 4% (+6% per 100 bonus AD)
• Cooldown reduction per stack: 1 second ⇒ 0.75 seconds
• Maximum number of stacks: 2 ⇒ 3
• Stack falloff: All at duration end ⇒ 1 stack per second at duration end
• Mana cost: 28/31/34/37/40 ⇒ 30

W: Spirit of Dread

• Cooldown: 14 seconds ⇒ 16/15.5/15/14.5/14 seconds
• [NEW] ARMORED CAVALRY: Hecarim gains 15/20/25/30/35 armor and magic resist while Spirit of Dread is active

E: Devastating Charge

• Minimum damage: 30/45/60/75/90 (+55% bonus AD) ⇒ 30/45/60/75/90 (+50% bonus AD)
• Maximum damage: 60/90/120/150/180 (+110% bonus AD) ⇒ 60/90/120/150/180 (+100% bonus AD)
• Minimum knockback: 250 ⇒ 150
• Maximum knockback: 450 ⇒ 350
• Cooldown: 20/19/18/17/16 seconds ⇒ 18 seconds at all ranks

R: Onslaught of Shadows

• Fear duration: 0.75-2 seconds based on distance traveled ⇒ 0.75-1.5 seconds based on distance traveled

Kassadin

Q: Null Sphere

• Cooldown: 11/10.5/10/9.5/9 seconds ⇒ 10/9.5/9/8.5/8 seconds
• Mana Cost: 70/75/80/85/90 ⇒ 60/65/70/75/80

Maokai

Passive: Sap Magic

• [NEW] Getting hit by large jungle monsters reduces cooldown by 1 second per auto
• Heal: 5-45 (+4.5-11% Max Health) (levels 1-15) ⇒ 4-34 (+4.8-14% Max Health) (levels 1-17)

Q: Bramble Smash

• Damage: 70/110/150/190/230 (+40% AP) ⇒ 65/110/155/200/245 (+40% AP)
• [NEW] WOOD YOU BELIEVE IT:Q now deals percent maximum health damage (2/2.25/2.5/2.75/3%)
• [NEW] BRANCHING OUT: Q now deals 40/60/80/100/120 bonus damage to monsters

E: Sapling Toss

• [REMOVED] NOT SO HEALTH-Y: Saplings no longer deal maximum percent health damage
• Base Damage: 20/45/70/95/120 (+7/7.25/7.5/7.75/8% (+70% per 100 AP) target maximum Health) ⇒ 55/80/105/130/155 (+42.5% AP +6% bonus HP)
• Empowered Brush Damage: 40/90/140/190/240 (+14/14.5/15/15.5/16% (+1.4% per 100 AP) target maximum Health) ⇒ 110/160/210/260/310 (+85% AP +12% bonus HP)
  • [NEW] MINIONS ACTIVIST: Minions no longer take empowered brush damage from Saplings
• Mana cost: 60/70/80/90/100 ⇒ 45/55/65/75/85
• Slow: 35% ⇒ 45%
• [NEW] A LIL SAPPY: Brush empowered Saplings now slow for 35% ⇒ 45% (+2% per 100 AP) (6% per 1000 bonus HP)

R: Nature’s Grasp

• Missile initial speed: 50 ⇒ 100
• Missile max speed: 650 ⇒ 750
• Missile acceleration: 250 ⇒ 300
• [NEW] MAKE LIKE A TREE AND LEAF: Maokai now gains 40/50/60% Bonus Move Speed that decays over 2 seconds upon hitting enemy champions

Miss Fortune

Q: Double Up

• Physical damage: 20/40/60/80/100 (+100% AD) (+35% AP) ⇒ 20/45/70/95/120 (+100% AD) (+35% AP)
• Cast time: 0.25 seconds ⇒ matches basic attack time

W: Strut

• Mana cost: 45 ⇒ 35
• Attack speed: 40/55/70/85/100% ⇒ 50/65/80/95/110%

E: Make it Rain

• Cooldown: 18/16/14/12/10 seconds ⇒ 18/17/16/15/14 seconds
• Full damage (8 ticks): 80/115/150/185/220 (+80% AP) ⇒ 70/100/130/160/190 (+100% AP)
• Slow: 40/45/50/55/60% ⇒ 50% (+4% per 100 AP)

Nami

E: Tideblesser’s Blessing

• Removed an interaction where each application of Nami’s E would count towards procing Electrocute. E (and its applications) will now only count as a single spell cast for effects such as Electrocute.

Nocturne

Base stats

• Attack speed: 0.668 ⇒ 0.721

Passive: Umbra Blades

• Cooldown: 14 seconds ⇒ 13 seconds

Rell

W: Ferromancy: Crash Down

• Move Speed while Dismounted: 250 ⇒ 280

E: Attract and Repel

• Cooldown: 18/16.25/14.5/12.75/11 seconds ⇒ 13 seconds

Renekton

Q: Cull the Meek

• Damage: 65/100/135/170/205 (+80% bonus AD) ⇒ 60/90/120/150/180 (+100% bonus AD)% bAD) ⇒ 60/90/120/150/180 (+100% bAD)
• Empowered damage: 100 / 150 / 200 / 250 / 300 (+120% bonus AD) ⇒ 90 / 135 / 180 / 225 / 270 (+140% bonus AD)

Sett

W: Haymaker

• AD ratio: 20% per 100 bonus AD ⇒ 25% per 100 bonus AD

E: Facebreaker

• Slow: 50% ⇒ 70%

Sivir

Base stats

• Attack damage growth: 3 ⇒ 2.8

W: Ricochet

• Bounce Damage AD Ratio: 30/35/40/45/50% ⇒ 25/30/35/40/45% total AD

Sylas

Base Stats

• Base Health: 595 ⇒ 575

Q: Chain Lash

• Cooldown: 10/9/8/7/6 seconds ⇒ 11/10/9/8/7 seconds

Taric

Base stats

• Magic resist: 32 ⇒ 28

E: Dazzle

• Cooldown: 15/14/13/12/11 seconds ⇒ 16/15/14/13/12 seconds

Trundle

W: Frozen Domain

• Cooldown: 15/14/13/12/11 seconds ⇒ 18/17/16/15/14 seconds

Twisted Fate

Q: Wild Card

• AP Ratio: 70% ⇒ 80%

W: Pick a Card

• Mana Cost: 40/55/70/85/100 ⇒ 30/40/50/60/70

Wukong

Base stats

• Attack speed: 0.711 ⇒ 0.68
• Movement speed: 345 ⇒ 340

Items

Guardian Angel

• Combine Cost: 50 gold ⇒ 150 gold
• Cost: 2800 gold ⇒ 3000 gold
• Attack damage: 40 ⇒ 45

Seeker’s Armguard

• Ability power: 20 ⇒ 30

Stopwatch

• Cost: 650 gold ⇒ 750 gold (Note: Perfect Timing will still only contribute 250 gold towards a Stopwatch item)

Zhonya’s Hourglass

• Cost: 2600 gold ⇒ 3000 gold
• Ability power: 65 ⇒ 80
• Ability haste: 10 ⇒ 15