A few days ago, Riot Games formalized the arrival of Zeri in the rift. This morning, we were talking to you about the changes to be expected in the rankings in the 12.2 update, which will hit the servers on January 20 alongside the new character. But for a long time, many players have been debating on the forums and in game.
The subject of the debate? Damage, healing, and use of shields. Some ask for a long time nerf damage and healing, in order to stop the escalation and parts where the characters do colossal damage. This phenomenon is called the power creep, and occurs when more powerful characters are added, and that the previous ones must be balanced accordingly. The principle is also and especially found in the sustain, which includes the act of healing, curing or protecting oneself with objects or abilities.
In League of Legends, this power creep is quite significant, to the point that some players judge the damage inflicted “stupid”, and sometimes nicknaming the title “League of One-Shots”. Without going to these extremes, it must be recognized that the concern is present, and important enough for Riot Games to take it head on.
On Reddit, one of the game’s developers, Bryan “Axes” Salvatore, indicates that the team was currently looking for a way to reduce overall damage on the game, and hopes that the patch can be deployed during the 2024 season.
We’re actively working on finding the right nuanced version of global damage reduction in-game. We hope to ship the changes when they’re ready, and we’re ready to ship them during the season instead of having to wait until pre-season if we are able to do so outside of specific launch windows like playoffs/MSI or Worlds leadup.
That is, the team wants to develop the fix before the next season, but without affecting ongoing competitions. Indeed, these kind of changes can alter the meta, and totally upset the balance of power in the professional competitive scene, which is not possible. Still, a few months ago, Riot indicated that no patch was on the way to correct these elements. Eventually, the studio decided to take a look at it, and work to improve it all. For the moment, it is impossible to know in concrete terms how this will affect the game.
