Riot touts major Soraka buffs in League Season 11 after item rework

While the item rework has hit every champion in League of Legends substantially, there’s few who have been more impacted than Soraka. With the rise of Grievous Wounds, the healer’s power has been cut, but Riot are looking at buffing her to counteract this.

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League of Legends Season 11 is almost upon us, and it may as well be renamed League of Legends 2. The item rework is throwing everything you know about the game out the window, with over half of the items being completely overhauled or removed.

Riot has been able to tap into new areas because of the rework though. It’s a lot easier to build stats like critical strike, ability haste, and armor penetration. However, the item rework has also buffed mechanics like Grievous Wounds.

The healing cut mechanic is an absolute life-saver when you’re up against heavy sustain compositions. However, there’s one champion that gets nuked whenever it’s picked up ⁠— and that’s Soraka.

The support has heals on two of her four abilities, and a passive heal on a third. She is the ultimate healer, but it also means she’s easily countered by Grievous Wounds.

• Read more: Riot reveals Ornn buffs on their way for League Season 11

Grievous Wounds in Season 11 will be incredibly easy to apply, given the number of items that give it. Riot are aware of where this leaves Soraka though, and are intending on giving her some major changes once the item rework hits live servers.

“Soraka falls into the category of champ we’ll react to once we see exactly how she’s affected,” design director Andrei ‘Meddler’ van Roon told players on Reddit.

This is more than likely going to be buffs to other parts of her kit that aren’t healing, although Riot aren’t ruling out further changes to Grievous Wounds either.

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“That might mean tuning [Grievous Wounds] availability if issues with her balance also affect other healing heavy champs. Could also just mean putting power into her, whether in healing or other aspects, to recognize the new normal.”

• Read more: Everything we know about League Patch 10.23, the pre-season 11 update

Meddler also noted that the Grievous Wounds changes aren’t the be-all-end-all for Soraka. There’s “a lot of other things changing for her,” according to the developers. However, they’re expecting her to take a hit in some way.

With League of Legends pre-season 11 launching with Patch 10.23 on November 10, there’s still some time for tinkering on the PBE. However, if you’re a Soraka main, you need not fear the item rework ⁠— Riot are keeping their eyes out for you.