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League of Legends patch notes: 12.22 update ushers in preseason 2023

The League of Legends patch notes for the 12.22 update usher in all of the MOBA's preseason 2023 changes, as Riot reveals just what the new jungle companions do

A blonde mermaid woman wearing a crown holds a huge staff topped by a circle wearing a pink dress with silver trim

The League of Legends patch notes for the 12.22 update are set to transform Riot’s MOBA at its core. With the addition of new jungle pets, the return of the Chemtech dragon, and a redistribution of solo lane gold, there’s a lot to get your head around. Don’t worry, though, we’ve got all of the relevant updates right here.

The League of Legends preseason 2023 changes are pretty sweeping. From the jungle to the top lane, ARAM to new player pings, this update has it all.

In terms of the jungle, we’ve got full articles discussing the return of the infamous Chemtech drake, as well as a breakdown of the new Pokemon-style jungle pets. Our rundown of all things toplane and the new ping system can be found in our League of Legends preseason 2023 explainer, so this article will instead focus on champion buffs and nerfs, the buffs granted by the new jungle pets, and much, much more.

For those who aren’t interested in any of that and are just excited to pick up some sweet new cosmetics to top off the season, we also have a list of the League of Legends ranked rewards for 2022 – prepared, aren’t we?

LoL patch 12.22 Competitive updates

One thing that has been in the works for a while is Riot’s new AFK detection system. With the current iteration still falling short of fan expectations, Riot has introduced the ‘Fountain Check.’ This means that, if a player is stuck in the fountain for over 90 seconds, players can remake. The AFK player will also receive multiple warnings to leave the fountain.

Additionally, players can now call a unanimous surrender vote if there is an AFK player between three and 15 minutes.

A League of Legends patch 12.22 infographic showing all of the changes to the Riot Games MOBA

League of Legends 12.22 patch notes

Below are the highlights of the League of Legends patch notes for the 12.22 update. If you’re looking for the full breakdown, they’re available via Riot Games.

Champion buffs

Cho’Gath

R – Feast

  • Damage to Non-Champions: 1000 (+50% AP)(+10% Bonus HP) ⇒ 1200(+50% AP)(+10% Bonus HP)

Lillia

Base Stats

  • Attacks: Ranged ⇒ Melee
  • Base Health: 625 ⇒ 605
  • Health Growth: 104 ⇒ 105

Passive – Dream-Laden Bough

  • Healing vs Champions: 10.5-124.5 (based on level)(+18% AP) (Note: linear scaling) ⇒ 6-120 (based on level)(+18% AP) (Note: now uses stat growth multiplier)

Nunu & Willump

Q – Consume

  • True Damage to Non-Champions: 340/500/660/820/980 ⇒ 400/600/800/100/1200

Champion adjustments

Rakan

Base Stats

  • Attacks: Ranged ⇒ Melee

Jungle Companions

Companion Attacks

  • Companions will deal 20(+4% base HP)(+15% AP)(+10% AD) and will attack at a rate of 1 attack per second. After their owner has stopped attacking, they will attack two more times and then stop.
  • Companions will heal their owner for 70% of the above number every time they attack
  • Damaging a camp from a distance will cause companions to leap attack toward the camp, dealing the same amount of damage

Companion Mana Regeneration

  • Companions will provide their owners with an increase to mana regeneration equal to [(8*percent missing mana) + (8*percent missing mana)*(level/1.3)*0.1] while in the jungle (including your jungle, the enemy jungle, and the river)

Companion Progression

Jungle companions will evolve twice throughout the game by acquiring treats via the following methods:

  • 1 treat per large monster/champion takedown.
  • 1 bonus treat is stored every 60 seconds before reaching the companion’s final evolution form
  • 1 bonus treat is stored every 90 seconds after reaching the companion’s final evolution form
  • When a large monster is killed with bonus treats available, players will receive 2 treats and 50 bonus gold. 1 bonus treat stack will also be removed.

Companion Evolutions

As jungle companions evolve, they will receive the following bonuses at each evolution:

First Evolution

  • Smite damage will be increased to 900 true damage against monsters
  • Smite is now castable on enemy champions, dealing 80-160 (based on level) true damage and slowing the target by 20% for 2 seconds
  • The jungle item will remain in your inventory
  • Companion will visually evolve
  • Smite’s icon will upgrade

Final Evolution

  • Smite damage will be increased to 1200 against monsters and will do 50% of its damage as AoE damage against nearby monsters
  • Players will become empowered and receive buffs depending on their chosen companion
  • The jungle item will be removed from your inventory
  • Companion will visually evolve
  • Smite’s icon will upgrade

Mosstomper

  • Mosstomper’s Courage: Gain a 75-330 (based on level) health shield after killing a monster camp or after 10 seconds out of combat. This shield will remain indefinitely. Players will gain 20% Tenacity and slow resist while the shield is present and for 3 seconds after it has been broken.
  • Protection Buff: Take 30% reduced damage from monsters while at least 2 allies are within 1300 units

Scorchclaw

  • Scorchclaw’s Slash: Scorchclaw will accumulate Ember stacks at a rate of 3 stacks per 0.5 seconds or 100 stacks upon killing a large monster. At 100 Ember stacks, your next instance of damage against an enemy champion will slow all enemies in a 250 unit radius by 30% (decaying over 2 seconds) and deal burn damage equal to 5% of the target’s maximum health in true damage over 4 seconds to the primary target.
  • Protection Buff: Take 30% reduced damage from monsters while at least 2 allies are within 1300 units

Gustwalker

  • Gustwalker’s Gait: Gain 45% bonus move speed when entering a brush that decays over 2 seconds after leaving the brush. This is increased to 60% for 2 seconds after killing a large monster.
  • Protection Buff: Take 30% reduced damage from monsters while at least 2 allies are within 1300 units

Artwork showing frog, cat, and fox creatures, then evolved versions of each animal

Summoner Spells

Smite

  • Smite Damage: 450 (Base)/900 (Challenging/Chilling Smite) ⇒ 600/900/1200 (0/20/40 companion stacks)
  • [UPDATED] New Smites New Names: Smite/Challenging Smite/Chilling Smite ⇒ Smite/Unleashed Smite/Primal Smite

Competitive

AFK Surrender Time Updates

  • Currently if a player is AFK after the time the remake window passes, you need to wait until 10 minutes before your team is allowed to call for a unanimous early surrender. In line with our previous updates to the remake system, we want to give teams the agency to end the game when competitive integrity has been impacted.
  • No More Dead Zone: Teams have the option to call a unanimous early surrender vote if an AFK player is detected on their team between 10:00 and 15:00 ⇒ 3:30 and 15:00

Champ Select Anonymity

  • As we discussed, we think the best version of League is not one where you metagame based on the players in your lobby. We also want to avoid using someone else’s win or loss streak/playing a different champion to force a dodge (or pressure others to dodge) when your setup doesn’t meet the perfect conditions.
  • Allies are Friends: In Ranked Solo/Duo champion select, all summoner names that aren’t yours or your duo partner’s will be replaced by Ally 1 through 5.

Game Remake Updates

  • Whether someone is or isn’t connected to the game or pressing buttons on their mouse and keyboard, if they’re doing nothing but standing in the fountain then they aren’t playing the game. At the end of the day, this is what we want to protect against with the remake system.
  • Fountain Check: Before three minutes, if a player is in the fountain for 90 continuous seconds, their team is able to initiate a remake. At 45 seconds, a player will receive a chat message telling them they need to leave the fountain. At 70 seconds, they will receive a pop up message telling them they need to leave the fountain.

Champion skins and chromas

League of Legends skins: 12.22

  • Space Groove Gragas
  • Space Groove Lissandra
  • Space Groove Nami
  • Space Groove Ornn
  • Space Groove Taric
  • Space Groove Teemo
  • Space Groove Twisted Fate
  • Prestige Space Groove Nami
  • Victorious Sejuani

Chromas

  • Galaxy Slayer Zed
  • Space Groove Gragas
  • Space Groove Lissandra
  • Space Groove Nami
  • Space Groove Ornn
  • Space Groove Taric
  • Space Groove Teemo
  • Space Groove Twisted Fate
  • Victorious Sejuani

If you’re looking to dive into the League of Legends preseason in style, be sure to check out our League of Legends tier list to get ahead of the game. Also, if the Space Groove skins are up your alley, it might be worth checking how much you’ve spent on League of Legends – after all, there’s the winter skins after these, and you want to have cash for them, right?