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League of Legends patch 12.3 notes – big Ahri abilities rework, Vel’Koz VFX update

League of Legends' 12.3 looks to be a smaller one than usual, with the headline a bunch of balance changes for Ahri

Update – February 2, 2022: Patch 12.3 has headed to live servers! Check out the League of Legends patch 12.4 notes for what’s coming next.

As we head further into the new year, the League of Legends patches keep on coming. League of Legends patch 12.2 has headed to live servers, bringing new champion Zeri, the Spark of Zaun, and a whole lot of new skins. It seems 12.3 will be a somewhat humbler affair, at least as far as cosmetics are concerned, but there are still plenty of key changes fans will want to know – so, read on if you’re keen to know what’s next.

It appears that League of Legends patch 12.3 won’t be bringing new skins – given that these tend to hit the PBE first thing in a new testing cycle, and there doesn’t seem to be any as yet – but we do have some big Ahri balance changes coming up. Principal character designer August ‘Riot August’ Browning has posted some details around this on Twitter.

Goals for the refresh include “lean[ing] into her mobile mage identity by allowing R to partially reset, giving her more opportunities to carry fights” and reworking her passive ability to “be more useful throughout the game”. Additionally, the devs want to “make her spells feel better to cast in lane”. You can check out all the changed abilities in the notes below.

Elsewhere, we’ve got a pretty hearty round of champion and item balance changes coming, which Riot has offered some extra context on (in the ‘Miscellaneous’ section below), as well as a VFX update for Vel’Koz. You can catch all the details in the notes below.

Without further ado, here are the tentative League of Legends patch 12.3 notes (cheers, Surrenderat20!):

LEAGUE OF LEGENDS PATCH 12.3 RELEASE DATE AND DOWNTIME

The League of Legends Season 12 patch schedule has now been rolled out, so we know that League of Legends patch 12.3 is due to go live on Wednesday, February 2, 2022.

Maintenance times haven’t yet been confirmed, but usually begin at 3am PT for NA servers, 5am UK time for EUW servers, and 3am CET for EUNE servers, and last for approximately three hours, so expect downtime to start sometime around then.

LEAGUE OF LEGENDS PATCH 12.3 BALANCE CHANGES

Champion Changes

Ahri – rebalanced/refreshed

Stats:
Health decreased to 480 + 82 per level from 526 + 92 per level
Health regeneration decreased to 2.5 from 5.5
Armour decreased to 18 from 21
Essence Theft (Passive):
Ability reworked! “Killing minions or monsters grants Ahri an Essence Fragment. After obtaining 9 Fragments, Ahri consumes them to heal for 40-120 (+25% AP). When Ahri scores a takedown against an enemy champion within 3 seconds of damaging them, she feasts upon their Essence, healing for 80-200 (+35% AP).”
There are brand-new VFX and SFX for all of Ahri’s skins
Orb of Deception (Q):
Mana cost changed to 60-100 from 65-85
Fox-Fire (W):
Damage dealt increased to 60-160 from 40-140
Mana cost decreased to 25 from 45
Flame duration decreased to 2.5 seconds from 5 seconds
Move speed duration increased to 2 seconds from 1.5 seconds
“Updated last-hitting logic and leaned up VFX”
Charm (E):
Damage dealt increased to 80-200 (+60% AP) from 60-180 (+40% AP)
Mana cost decreased to 50 from 70
Removed! “This ability no longer grants a 20% damage amp on the target”
Spirit Rush (R):
Ability duration has increased to 15 seconds from 10 seconds
New! “Consuming a champion’s Essence with Essence Theft (P) while Spirit Rush is active extends its recast duration by up to 10 seconds and grants an additional cast of Spirit Rush (up to 3 stored)”
“Cleaned up VFX and added ammo bar icons (currently placeholder)”

Akshan – nerfed

Dirty Fighting (Passive):
Single-shot move speed has decreased to 20-75 from 35-75
Three-stack damage has decreased to 10-165 from 20-175

Amumu – nerfed

Stats:
Armour per level has decreased to 3 from 3.5
Tantrum (E):
Changed! Maximum damage reduction is now 50% of damage instance “(like other flat DR)”, as per Riot on Twitter

Caitlyn – nerfed

Stats:
Attack Damage growth has decreased to 3.4 from 3.8
Piltover Peacemaker (Q):
Secondary damage decreased to 50% from 60%

LeBlanc – nerfed

Distortion (W):
Damage dealt decreased to 75/110/145/180/215 from 75/115/155/195/235

Lillia – buffed

Lilting Lullaby (R):
Duration of sleep effect increased to 2/2.25/2.5 seconds from 1.5/2/2.5 seconds

Nami – changed

Surging Tides (Passive):
Bonus movement speed increased to 90 from 45, but now decays
Tidecaller’s Blessing (E):
Bonus magic damage dealt per hit has decreased to 20/35/50/65/80 from 25/40/55/70/85

Quinn – buffed

Heightened Senses (W):
Attack speed increased to 28/36/44/52/60% from 20/30/40/50/60%
Behind enemy lines (R):
Damage dealt increased to 70% tAD from 40% tAD

Senna – changed

Absolution (Passive):
Attack speed increased to 28/36/44/52/60% from 20/30/40/50/60%

Twisted Fate – nerfed

Wind Cards (Q):
Damage dealt decreased to [60/100/140/180/220 (+75% AP)] from [60/105/150/195/240 (+65% AP)]
Stacked Deck (E):
Attack speed decreased to 10/17.5/25/32.5/40% from 20/25/30/35/40%

Item Changes

Sterak’s Gage – changed

Removed!
This item no longer gives you flat AD
Removed!
The Bloodlust passive is gone
New passive!
You’ll now gain 40% base damage as bonus attack power thanks to ‘The Claws that Catch’
Effects:
Lifeline passive shield changed to [75% Bonus Health Shield] from [100 Shield (increased by (8% max Health | 4.8% max Health for Ranged champions) per stack of Bloodlust]

Black Cleaver – buffed

Effects:
Attack damage increased to 45 from 40
Health decreased to 350 from 450
Ability Haste increased to 30 from 25

Ravenous Hydra – buffed

Effects:
Attack damage increased to 70 from 65

Trinity Force – changed

Effects:
Health increased from 200 to 300

               Cost:

Combine cost increased to 833 from 733

Blade of the Ruined King – nerfed

Cost:
Total cost increased to 3300 from 3200
Combined cost increased to 525 from 425
Effects:
Damage dealt by Mist’s Edge increased to 12% Melee / 8% Ranged from 10% melee / 6% Ranged

Hexdrinker – buffed

Effects:
Attack damage increased to 25 from 20

Hearthbound Axe – buffed

Cost:
Total cost decreased to 1,000 from 1,100
Combine cost decreased to 350 from 450

Maw of Malmortius – buffed

Cost:
Total cost increased to 2,900 from 2,800
Effects:
New! Item has a new passive effect: “When Lifeline triggers, gain 12% Omnivamp until the end of combat.”
Attack damage increased to 55 from 50
Ability Haste increased to 20 from 15

Goredrinker – buffed

Effects:
Attack damage increased to 50 from 45
Health decreased to 300 from 450
Ability Haste increased to 25 from 20
Recipe:
Recipe changed! Is now as follows: Ironspike Whip + Caufield’s Warhammer + Kindlegem + 200g

Divine Sunderer – changed

Effects:
Attack damage increased to 40 from 35
Health decreased to 300 from 400
Recipe:
Recipe changed! Is now as follows: Caulfield’s Warhammer + Sheen + Kindlegem + 700g

Stridebreaker – nerfed

Cost:
Combine cost increased to 400 from 300

Death’s Dance – changed

Effects:
Ignore Pain passive damage spread amount decreased to 30% melee/10% ranged from 35% melee/15% ranged
Defy passive heal changed to 175% bonus attack damage health from 15% max health

Wit’s End – nerfed

Cost:
Total cost has increased to 775 from 675

Vel’Koz VFX update

Riot’s rolled out a Vel’Koz update onto the PBE for testing – check out details below!

YouTube Thumbnail

Miscellaneous

Some of the LoL devs have been sharing their insights on Twitter – catch a glimpse below.


That’s all there is for the League of Legends patch 12.3 notes right now, but keep heading back over its two-week testing cycle to catch any gameplay updates and other changes coming that hit the PBE ahead of the update’s live debut soon. We’ll be sure to post all you need to know in the notes above.

You can go catch up on the League of Legends patch 12.2 notes if you’re keen to see what’s just hit the live game. Our sister site The Loadout has a LoL ranks explainer if you’re after tips on how to climb those ranked tiers. If you’re thinking of getting into the game as a newbie, then our best League of Legends champions for beginners and LoL beginners’ guides can help you get started.