League of Legends 9.23 patch notes: the pre-season is here

9.19 Patch Overview

Similar to our philosophy for last year's Worlds patch, we've been making steady changes throughout the last few patches as to not completely throw everything in flux and have the pros invalidate whatever playbooks they've been developing for the most exciting event of the year. More than completely neutralizing top priority picks, we've been working on elevating more champions to competitive viability and are continuing that work in 9.19.

This change process has resulted in smaller buffs or a couple of impactful nerfs across a slew of champions and more pro-focused changes that should even out the scales and create fun, diverse, and impactful picks for the next few weeks of Worlds games.

9.19 Champion changes

Aatrox

Q - The Darkin Blade

  • Minion damage reduction: 60% ⇒ 45%

Akali

R - Perfect Execution

  • R2 maxiumum damage: 195/420/645 ⇒ 225/450/645

Annie

E - Molten Shield

  • Movement speed: 25-50.5% (levels 1-18) ⇒ 30-60% (levels 1-18)
  • Cooldown: 15 seconds ⇒ 14/13/12/11/10 seconds

Ashe

Passive - Frost Shot

  • Slow: 15-30% (levels 1-18) ⇒ 20-30% (levels 1-18)

Q - Ranger's Focus

  • J>PQ GOT AC: Now is an auto attack reset

Blitzcrank

Q - Rocket Grab

  • Range: 1050 ⇒ 1150

R - Static Field

  • Passive max stacks: 2 marks ⇒ 3 marks

Fiora

Q - Lunge

  • Tower defense: Can now hit turrets and wards (will prioritize champion vitals, ultimate targets, champs, dying minions, turrets, and wards, respectively)

E - Bladework

  • Stonehenge: The second basic attack can now deal bonus damage to turrets

Gragas

W - Drunken Rage

  • Cooldown: 5 seconds ⇒ 6 seconds
  • Damage ratio: 8% of target's maximum health ⇒ 7% of target's maximum health

Graves

Base Stats

  • Attack damage: 66 ⇒ 68
  • Health: 551.1 ⇒ 555
  • Mana: 322.2 ⇒ 325
  • Mana regen: 7.9 ⇒ 8

Heimerdinger

Q - H-28G Evolution Turret

  • Basic attack ratio: 30% ability power ⇒ 35% ability power

E - CH-2 Electron Storm Grenade

  • Stun duration: 1.25 seconds ⇒ 1.5 seconds

R - H28Q Apex Turret

  • Basic attack ratio: 30% ability power ⇒ 35% ability power

Karma

Q - Inner Flame

  • Q1 damage ratio: 60% ability power ⇒ 40% ability power

Mordekaiser

W - Indestructible

  • Damage dealt potential shield: 30% of the damage he deals ⇒ 35% of the damage he deals

R - Realm of Death

  • Are you ready to rumble?: Spectators now see the combatants in the Spooky Realm as appropriately spooky

Orianna

R - Command: Shockwave

  • Damage: 150/225/300 (+0.7 ability power) ⇒ 200/275/350 (+0.8 ability power)

Ornn

Passive - Living Forge

  • Masterwork upgrade: Masterworks upgrade for free when Ornn reaches level 13 ⇒ 12

Pantheon

Base Stats

  • Magic resist: 32.1 ⇒ 28

W - Shield Vault

  • Empowered damage: Deals 150% total attack damage over three hits ⇒ Deals 135-165% (levels 1-18) total attack damage over three hits

Rek'Sai

Base Stats

  • Armor: 33 ⇒ 36

Q - Queen's Wrath

  • Face my wrath: Rek'Sai's Unburrowed Q now works on turrets

Riven

Q - Broken Wings

  • Cooldown: 12 seconds ⇒ 13 seconds

E - Valor

  • Cooldown: 14/13/12/11/10 seconds ⇒ 12/11/10/9/8 seconds

Sejuani

Passive - Fury of the North

  • Icebreaker damage ratio: 10/15/20% of target's maximum health (levels 1, 7, 14) ⇒ 10% of target's maximum health

Sion

W - Soul Furnace

  • Base shield: 30/55/80/105/130 ⇒ 50/75/100/125/150

Sylas

Base Stats

  • Armor: 32 ⇒ 28
  • Armor growth: 3 ⇒ 2.5

Passive - Petricite Burst

  • Damage ratio: 9-60 (levels 1-18) (+1.0 total attack damage)(+0.2 ability power), reduced by 50% for minions that aren't the primary target ⇒ (+1.1 total attack damage)(+0.2 ability power) to the primary target, (+0.4 total attack damage)(+0.2 ability power) to everyone else

Tahm Kench

E - Thick Skin

  • Grey health heal: 75% of Grey Health at all ranks ⇒ 30-100% of Grey Health (levels 1-18)

Twisted Fate

E - Stacked Deck

  • Attack speed: 10/15/20/25/30% ⇒ 20/25/30/35/40%
  • Base damage: 55/80/105/130/155 ⇒ 65/90/115/140/165

Vayne

R - Final Hour

  • Bonus attack damage: 20/30/40 ⇒ 25/40/55

Veigar

E - Event Horizon

  • Cooldown: 18/17/16/15/14 seconds ⇒ 18/16.5/15/13.5/12 seconds

Xin Zhao

Passive - Determination

  • Base heal: 8-59 (levels 1-18) ⇒ 10-78 (levels 1-18)

Q - Three Talon Strike

  • Base damage: 20/25/30/35/40 ⇒ 20/28/36/44/52

Yuumi

Q - Prowling Projectile

  • Slow: 20/32/44/56/68/80% ⇒ 20% at all ranks
  • Slow duration: 1.5 seconds ⇒ 1 seconds
  • Cat nap: Slow no longer decays over time

Zac

R - Let's Bounce!

  • NEW Green potion: Bloblets restore an additional 1/2/3% maximum health

9.19 Item changes

We've removed "The" from some item names and descriptions!

  • Black Cleaver
  • Black Spear
  • Bloodthirster
  • Dark Seal
  • Hex Core mk1 and mk2
  • Lightbringer
  • Obsidian Cleaver

9.19 Bug fixes

  • Fixed a bug where Ultimate Hunter would not reduce Kayle's R - Divine Judgement's cooldown
  • Fixed a bug where Rakan's self-only R marker would display in Spectator Mode
  • Adjusted the default keybindings for some pings ("This is warded" moved to H, "Hold position" moved to J)
  • Tibbers will properly draw turret aggro onto Annie if he deals damage to an enemy champion under turret
  • Illaoi is properly able to cast W - Harsh Lesson even when Grounded
  • Shyvana no longer loses her gained movement speed from W - Burnout when transforming via R - Dragon's Descent
  • Yasuo is no longer able to cast R - Last Breath onto a non-knocked up target who's just been hit with Ornn's R - Call of the Forge God
  • When Taunted or Silenced, Shyvana's Q - Twin Bite's empowered attack properly launches onto the target before being consumed
  • Increased the recast lockout time for Pantheon's E - Aegis Assault so spamming the key doesn't accidentally, almost instantly, cancel the ability

9.19 Upcoming Skins & Chromas

League of Legends update 9.19 upcoming skins

(Image credit: Riot Games)

Championship Ryze, Valiant Sword Riven, Majestic Empress Morgana, and Splendid Staff Nami will be available on September 26, 2019.

The following chromas will be released this patch:

Philip Palmer

Phil is a contributor for PC Gamer, formerly of TechRadar Gaming. With four years of experience writing freelance for several publications, he's covered every genre imaginable. For 15 years he's done technical writing and IT documentation, and more recently traditional gaming content. He has a passion for the appeal of diversity, and the way different genres can be sandboxes for creativity and emergent storytelling. With thousands of hours in League of Legends, Overwatch, Minecraft, and countless survival, strategy, and RPG entries, he still finds time for offline hobbies in tabletop RPGs, wargaming, miniatures painting, and hockey.