League of Legends Patch 25.21 releases on October 22, 2025, bringing champion buffs, nerfs, and major system updates to Doran’s items. Here’s everything new in this update.
Following a few smaller balance updates that have come out in the lead-up to Worlds 2025, Riot Games is shaking things up with a large patch of changes in League of Legends Patch 25.21. This update has a series of champion and system buffs and nerfs that are meant to drastically shift the post-Worlds meta, including significant changes to some of the game’s most iconic starting items.
The focus on marksman seems to be particularly strong in Patch 25.21, with a large buff coming to several AD carries while the majority of sustain items and runes are getting nerfed.
Riot is also shaking up a few fundamental systems while dropping more cosmetic content, including the Beeko (Neeko), Mecha Kingdoms Skarner, and Prestige Eternal Aspect Zoe skins.
League of Legends Patch 25.21 Release Date and Times
Riot Games has officially announced that League of Legends Patch 25.21 will be released on Wednesday, October 22, 2025. Servers will be down during deployment for a maintenance period.
Patch 25.21 regional release times:
- North America: 3:00 AM PT
- Europe West: 5:00 AM UK time
- Europe Nordic & East: 3:00 AM CET
Servers will automatically update to Patch 25.21 when maintenance ends.
Champion Buffs in Patch 25.21
Several champions are getting buffs to return them to competitive viability.
Champions getting buffs in Patch 25.21:
- Ezreal
- Graves
- Kalista
- Yone
- Yunara
These changes mostly provide scaling and mobility improvements to marksmen who fell off in the Worlds meta.
Champion Nerfs in Patch 25.21
To balance those out, Riot is also squashing some of the highest performing champions from the past few patches.
Expect nerfs to:
- Diana
- Kog’Maw
- Morgana
- Qiyana
- Quinn
The champions on this list all had particularly high win rates or were dominant in their respective lanes, and so needed individualized tuning to curb their power.
Champion Adjustments
Not every champion is receiving a buff or a nerf – a few are just getting tuned. Bard, Gwen, Dr. Mundo, and Skarner will see changes that simply tighten up their kits, without having a huge effect on the way they play.
Skarner’s changes also connect with his ongoing rework and visual update, tuning him better with itemization and jungle pacing.
System Changes in Patch 25.21
The patch also brings system changes, with Riot focused on increasing the importance of early-game sustain and item diversity.
System Nerfs
- Catalyst of Aeons: Lowered sustain to decrease tankiness in early skirmishes.
- Second Wind Rune: Lowered regeneration to increase the punish of poke lanes.
System Adjustments – Doran’s Items
- To phase away from passive sustain and into more aggressive power, Riot Games have reworked all of Doran’s Items:
Doran’s Blade
- Life steal reduced: 3% → 0%
- New Passive – Life Draining: Gain 2.5% heal for damage dealt (33% effectiveness for AoE/pet damage).
Doran’s Ring
- Removed Passive – Restoration: Gain 1.25 mana per second.
- New Passive – Drain: Gain 1 mana per second, up to 2 after damaging an enemy champion. If unable to gain mana, gain 45% heal instead.
Doran’s Shield
- Reduced Enduring Focus health regen from 0–45 to 0–40 (scaled on missing health).
New Skins in Patch 25.21
Riot is introducing three new skins to the cosmetic pool:
- Bees Neeko (Beeko)
- Mecha Kingdoms Skarner
- Prestige Eternal Aspect Zoe
The skins are part of Riot’s post-Worlds trend of introducing high-end cosmetics before preseason updates.
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