League of Legends Worlds 2019 update: full 9.19 patch notes

Riot has released a massive new League of Legends patch ahead of the 2019 Worlds Championship.

Just like last year, Riot has been making steady changes in the last few LoL patches and have capped it off with one final, massive patch ahead of the 2019 Worlds.

The latest patch includes buffs and nerfs for a wide range of heroes and “more pro-focused changes” that Riot hopes will even out the playing field ahead of Worlds.

The Worlds 2019 patch introduces a ton of hero changes, most notably to Sylas, in an effort to make him less of a must-pick in pro play ahead of the tournament.

• Read More: Kelsey Moser: SKT T1’s Group of Death is RNG’s chance at life

All of the heroes in the patch notes receive pretty substantial changes though, and it will be interesting to see how pros adjust to them as we head into Worlds.

The patch also includes several bug fixes for heroes, including a nice quality of life upgrade  for Pantheon that increases the recast lockout time for Aegis Assault, so spamming the key doesn’t accidentally cancel the ability.

• Read More: Faker destroys League of Legends opponents with insane Ezreal play

Riot has also removed “the” from the front of a number of item names, apparently to make them easier to find quickly.

You can read the full list of updates in the 9.19 League of Legends patch below:

League of Legends full 9.19 Patch Notes

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GOOD GRIEF, WE’RE FINALLY HERE. It’s the Worlds patch!! 

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.

Patch Highlights

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

Champions

Aatrox

• Q minion damage reduction increased. 

“We overnerfed Aatrox in 9.18 and are giving back some of the waveclear he lost.”

• The Darkin Blade

Minion damage reduction increased from 40 to 55%

Akali

• R2 max damage increased. 

“We also overnerfed Akali in 9.18. With her ultimate now sufficiently gated, we’re returning some of the damage.” 

• R – Perfect Execution

R2 maximum damage increased from 195/420/645 to 225/450/645

Annie

• E movement speed increased; cooldown now scales. 

“Following up on the 9.18 changes since we ended up going with a more conservative approach than necessary.”

• E – Molten Shield

Movement speed increased from 25-50.5% at levels 1-18 to 30-60% at levels 1-18

Cooldown decreased from 15 seconds to 14/13/12/11/10 seconds

Ashe

• Passive slow increased. Q now an auto attack reset. 

“Increasing Ashe’s utility so she can be considered a good pick when a player wants to run down opponents in the early game. In addition, we’re returning the full auto attack reset to her Q. We’ve decided that the minimal gameplay gains weren’t worth the adverse effect on the satisfaction of playing Ashe.”

• Passive – Frost Shot 

Slow increased from 15-30% at levels 1-18 to 20-30% at levels 1-18

• Ranger’s Focus

J>PQ GOT AC – Now is an auto attack reset

Blitzcrank

• Q range increased. R max stacks increased. 

“Blitzcrank is the Hook and should always be even as we release other champions who just happen to have hooks in their abilities alongside other things.”

• Q – Rocket Grab

Range increased from 1050 to 1150

• R – Static Field

Passive max stacks increased from 2 marks to 3 marks

Fiora

• Q can now hit turrets and wards. E2 can now crit turrets. 

“Fiora’s in an acceptable place when it comes to matchups in lane, but she struggles to convert her lane victories into game victories.”

• 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 cooldown increased; damage ratio decreased. 

“Gragas has been dominating the pro meta for a while, so we’re nerfing his clear speed.”

• W – Drunken Rage

Cooldown increased from 5 seconds to 6 seconds

Damage Ratio decreased from 8% of target’s maximum health to 7% of target’s maximum health

Graves

• Base attack damage increased. Rounding out some other base stats.

“We’re giving Graves some more reliable power via his base attack damage so he feels generally stronger at all points of a game. Also rounding out some other stats since we’re here!”

• Base Stats

Attack damage increased from 66 to 68

Health increased from 551.1 to 555

Mana increased from 322.2 to 325

Mana Regen increased from 7.9 to 8

Heimerdinger

• Q and R turret AP ratio increased. E stun duration increased. 

“Buffing Heimerdinger all-around since he’s on the weaker side.” 

• Q – H-28G Evolution Turret

Basic attack ratio increased from 30% ability power to 35% ability power

• E – CH-2 Electron Storm Grenade

Stun duration increased from 1.25 seconds to 1.5 seconds

• R – H28Q Apex Turret

Basic attack ratio increased from 30% ability power to 35% ability power

Karma

• Q1 AP ratio decreased. 

“Nerfing Karma’s non-support damage so she isn’t so strong as a blind pick generalist. Teams will now have to consider losing a considerable amount of damage if they want to pick her.”

• Q – Inner Flame

Q1 damage ratio decreased from 60% ability power to 40% ability power

Mordekaiser

• W shield from damage dealt increased. Spectators can now see champions in the Death Realm as spirits.

“Lightly buffing Mordekaiser in a way that might be most felt in pro games.”

• W – Indestructible

Damage dealt potential shield increased from 30% of the damage he deals to 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 damage increased. 

“Orianna is feeling generally weak right now so we’re powering up her ultimate for the sweet wombo combos.”

• R – Command: Shockwave

Damage increased from 150/225/300 (+0.7 ability power) to 200/275/350 (+0.8 ability power)

Ornn

• Free Masterwork upgrades happen earlier. 

“Making Ornn’s unique attributes happen earlier in the game.”

• Passive – Living Forge

Masterwork upgrade – Masterworks upgrade for free when Ornn reaches level 12 instead of 13.

Pantheon

• Base magic resist decreased. W empowered damage now scales. 

“More follow-up post release on the stronk man.”

• Base Stats

Magic resist decreased from 32.1 to 28

• W – Shield Vault

Empowered Damage – Deals 150% total attack damage over three hits changed to Deal 135-165% (levels 1-18) total attack damage over three hits

Rek’Sai

• Base armor increased. Unburrowed Q now works on turrets. 

“We’re making Rek’Sai’s auto attacks work the way players expect them along with some more durability.”

• Base Stats

Armor increased from 33 to 36

• Q – Queen’s Wrath

Face my wrath – Rek’Sai’s Unburrowed Q now works on turrets

Riven

• Q cooldown increased. E cooldown decreased. 

“Our last few Riven changes didn’t hit the results we were looking for, disproportionately weakening the players who are newer to her and don’t have the same level of familiarity. We’re trying again by reverting back to her pre-9.9 state and adding a simpler nerf to her E instead.”

• Q – Broken Wings

Cooldown increased from 12 seconds to 13 seconds

• E – Valor

Cooldown decreased from 14/13/12/11/10 seconds to 12/11/10/9/8 seconds

Sejuani

• Passive damage ratio flattened. 

“Sejuani’s damage is very high when considering all of the utility she has, especially in pro play. We’re nerfing her dueling power and mid-game damage.”

• Passive – Fury of the North

Icebreaker damage ratio – decreased from 10/15/20% of target’s maximum health (levels 1, 7, 14) to 10% of target’s maximum health

Sion

• W base shield increased. 

“Sion is unusually weak in skilled play. We’re buffing his on-demand shielding, since this is more helpful in higher-level play.”

• W – Soul Furnace 

Base Shield increased from 30/55/80/105/130 to 50/75/100/125/150

Sylas

• Base armor and armor growth decreased. Passive damage ratio adjusted. 

“One of Sylas’ main strengths lies in his generalist kit and high AoE power from his very reliable passive. This combination created no-fail situations which led to Sylas’ 3-role, omnipresent, pro flex status.

So basically, we’re nerfing him so he’s not 100% pick-ban at Worlds.” 

• Base Stats

Armor decreased from 32 to 28

Armor growth decreased from 3 to 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’s Grey Health heal now scales. 

“Tahm Kench is one of the best champs for protecting teammates from being picked off by enemies, and he should therefore be more vulnerable to poke.”

• E – Thick Skin

Grey Health Heal decreased from 75% of Grey Health at all ranks to 30-100% of Grey Health (levels 1-18)

Twisted Fate

• E attack speed increased; base damage increased.

“Buffing TF in a way so he’s better in the match-ups that favor him, but that preserve his existing vulnerabilities to ranged champions.”

• E – Stacked Deck

Attack Speed increased from 10/15/20/25/30% to 20/25/30/35/40%

Base Damage increased from 55/80/105/130/155 to 65/90/115/140/165

Vayne

• R base AD increased. 

“Vayne is still a tad weak after the last round of buffs, so we’re giving her more late-game power.”

• R – Final Hour

Bonus Attack Damage increased from 20/30/40 to 25/40/55

Veigar

• E cooldown decreased later. 

“Despite Veigar’s scaling nature, his contributions to teamfights struggle to keep pace with what’s necessary in the late game, so we’re buffing the ability that helps out the most in those situations.”

• E – Event Horizon

Cooldown decreased from 18/17/16/15/14 seconds to 18/16.5/15/13.5/12 seconds

Xin Zhao

• Passive base heal increased. Q base damage increased later. 

“Xin could use some love after the Scuttler changes decreased his early game power value so we’re helping out.”

• Passive – Determination

Base Heal increased from 8-59 (levels 1-18) to 10-78 (levels 1-18)

• Q – Three Talon Strike

Base Damage increased from 20/25/30/35/40 to 20/28/36/44/52

Yuumi

• Q slow strength now flattened, duration decreased, no longer decays over time. 

“Yuumi has been a fuzzy menace in the pro scene, so we’re nerfing one of the more pro-impacting elements of her kit.”

• Q – Prowling Projectile

Slow decreased from 20/32/44/56/68/80% to 20% at all ranks

Slow Duration decreased from 1.5 seconds to 1 seconds

Cat Nap – Slow no longer decays over time

Zac

• Bloblets restore more health. 

“With more value on his bloblets, Zac should be able to scale better into late game and feel more satisfaction in this unique part of his kit.”

• R – Let’s Bounce!

[NEW] Green Potion – Bloblets restore an additional 1/2/3% maximum health

Items

“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

Bugfixes

• 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

Upcoming Skins & Chromas

“The following skins will be released this patch. Grab the League Displays app for full-res splash art!”

• Hextech Amumu
• Majestic Empress Morgana
• Splendid Staff Nami
• Valiant Sword Riven
• Valiant Sword Riven Prestige Edition
• Championship Ryze

The following chromas will be released this patch:

• Majestic Empress Morgana
• Splendid Staff Nami
• Championship Ryze