Season 1 patch notes for 2XKO revealed

We’re changing projectiles in a few ways to lower their overall power and help make outcomes clearer. Projectiles often led to no-win situations for the defender: either hit the champion and get hit by the projectile, or block the projectile and eat a mixup. We’re cleaning up this interaction to have clearer outcomes.

– Projectiles now disappear under these conditions:

* When the champion that fired the projectile is hit by an attack.

* When the Point champion is hit.

* When a throw tech occurs.

* The following moves are not impacted by this change: Ultimates, Jinx’s P’Choo Bang Pew Pew Boom Boom (S1 Super), Zaaaapp! (S2 Super), Braum’s Glacial Fissure (S1 Super), Shattering Spires (Unbreakable D.S2), Glacial Fissure Assist (D.T), Leap, Little One (F.S1), Teemo’s Noxious Sweeper Assist (D.T). Noxious Surprise (S2 Super) will explode on contact, Illaoi’s All tentacle attacks.

– Projectile attacks that are chargeable now fire automatically when performing a Handshake Tag.

* Charging a projectile and handshake tagging was particularly hard to interact with. Compared to physical strikes where parry or active hitboxes are a viable option, often your only decision was to drop your combo to avoid the projectile.

– Hitting a champion during the recovery frames of firing a mid-air projectile will cause an interrupt.

* Interrupts result in more damage, hit stun, and Break meter.

– If an Assist fires multiple projectiles, hitting the Point champion will prevent more projectiles from firing.

* Notable moves include: Jinx Tons of Fishbones Assist (D.T), Teemo Darts Assist (B.T, Ahri Foxfire Rain Assist (B.T).

• Backdash and forward dash adjustments: We’ve redistributed the movement on our fastest backdashers so that they now travel backwards evenly across the backdash. Previously, champions moved much farther at the start of their backdash than at the end of their backdash. This slows down backwards chain dashing while keeping the distance traveled relatively similar.

– Slowed backdash on faster champions: Ahri, Ekko, Warwick, Vi, and Yasuo.

* Movement has been distributed more evenly across the dash animation.

– Sped up forward dash and chain dash on slower champions: Blitzcrank and Braum.

• Universal L: 8-frame jabs are too slow to compete against faster champions, so the slowest L in our game will now have a maximum startup of 7 frames.

– L startup is now 7 frames for champions that had an 8-frame L: Illaoi, Braum, Darius, and Blitzcrank.

• Assists: Hitting an Assist wasn’t punishing enough. Running away and calling assists is a powerful neutral strategy, so we’re adding counterplay to make bad Assist calls riskier.

– Hitting an Assist now causes a 4-second cooldown.

* This also applies to hitting a Super Assists and Sidekick Assists

– When an Assist is parried, they now lose collision.

* This coupled with the previous full screen parry adjustment will allow you to more consistently punish the opponent when you Parry their assist.

– Assist UI now appears faster when performing an Assist.

* On average, this happens 5 frames faster.

– Dead champions should ruin less Happy Birthdays.

* Dead champions often contributed to Happy Birthdays dropping at unintended timings. Now, they will disappear as soon as they are hit. No more spoiling the party.

Ahri is a strong performer in the meta. This patch, we’re primarily taking a hit at her aerial and grounded runaway. Mid-air Foxfire Blast (F.S1, D.S1) no longer refreshes Ahri’s air dash, and her backdash has been slowed down to make chasing her more reliable.

• Projectile adjustments:

– Mid-air Foxfire Blast (F.S1, D.S1) now has a custom hurtbox.

– Mid-air Foxfire Blast (F.S1, D.S1) and Foxfire Leap (S1 > S1) are now in an interrupted state during recovery frames.

– Foxfire Rain Assist (B.T) is affected by the projectile rules adjustment, and can now be interrupted more easily.

• Buffs:
– Spirit Rush Assist F.T() is no longer considered an aerial attack, and can no longer be anti-aired.

• Nerfs:

– Backdash speed has been decreased.

– M range has been slightly decreased.

– Performing mid-air Foxfire Blast (F.S1, D.S1) no longer refreshes Ahri’s air dash:

* Always having an air dash after Foxfire Blast made it difficult for Ahri to make mistakes while running away. Engaging Ahri was significantly more taxing than running away as Ahri.

* This change encourages more thoughtful decision making on runaway patterns, without a get-out-of-jail free card.

– Bounce! (D.S2) is now considered airborne on frame 10:

* It was previously considered airborne on frame 1, which caused unexpected air hit reactions.

– Spirit Rush Assist (F.T) hurtbox height has been increased:

* Spirit Rush Assist can now be hit by more standing attacks.

• Adjustments:

– Up-forward Spirit Rush (UF.S2) changes:

* Hit stun has been increased by 2 frames. It was 36 frames and is now 38 frames.

* Now has more hit stun scaling applied in combos. The increased hit stun on up-forward Spirit Rush (UF.S2) allows it to combo against Warwick more easily in Ahri’s core combos. In exchange, we’re applying more hit stun scaling to up-forward Spirit Rush, so that combos after the launch will have similar hit stun.

• Bug fixes:

– Fixed a bug where Ahri was able to recover quickly from Break if she used it while in Spirit Rush (any direction + S2).

– Mid-air forward Spirit Rush (F.S2) now consistently passes through Warwick on hit.

Blitzcrank is still not quite strong enough to compete at top levels of play. We’re making updates to their normals and hurtboxes to let them scrap it up in neutral.

Previously, Blitzcrank’s hurtboxes grew in size significantly whenever they went for an attack. This meant that Blitzcrank would often be punished for pressing buttons, which made blocking and Assist calling their primary way to play neutral. To help Blitzcrank throw out more limbs, we’ve removed many of their extended hurtboxes, made them faster, and improved their ground normals.

• Major Adjustments:
– L startup has been decreased by 1 frame. It was 8 and is now 7.

– Increased forward movement speed.

• Hurtbox Improvements:

– Hurtboxes on Blitzcrank’s hands have been removed on most grounded attacks.

– Hurtboxes on Blitzcrank’s legs have been removed on mid-air M and H

• Consistency Improvements:

– First hit of D.M hitbox is now slightly taller.

– First hit of D.M hit stun has been increased by 3 frames:

* On airborne opponents, D.L will now combo into D.M more consistently, and the first hit of D.M will now combo into H more consistently.

* With previous tuning, it was difficult to pressure with lows, since lows wouldn’t blockstring consistently against airborne opponents.

– Blitzcrank is now pushed less far back when performing Wrecking Ball (S2) on grounded opponents in the corner.

• Buffs:

– For a grappler, Blitzcrank had weak standing normals. We’re improving their standing normals to improve their neutral presence:

* M hitbox is now larger.

* H now travels farther. This opens up additional pressure strings, helps improve Blitzcrank’s conversion game, and makes this move usable in neutral.

– Rear Compression (H while running) now goes over lows.

– B.H improvements:

* B.H hitbox now hits farther behind Blitzcrank.

* B.H air hit stun has been increased by 5 frames. It was 27 frames and is now 32 frames.

* B.H ground hit stun has been increased by 2 frames. It was 30 frames and is now 32 frames.

* B.H launch height against airborne opponents has been lowered to help with follow ups. B.H was not an incredibly useful button. While we don’t expect this move to be used often, we do want it to properly reward you if you connect with it.

– Air Purifier (D.S1) active frames have been increased by 4 to match its animation better.

– Spinning Turbine (F.S2) damage per hit has been increased by 5.

– Mid-air Garbage Collection (D.S2) now generates 25 Steam on hit, if not at full Steam:

* Mid-air Garbage Collection is underused compared to mid-air Air Purifier (D.S1). We’re adding Steam generation to mid-air Garbage Collection to encourage more decision making.

• Pulse Combo:

– Removed mid-air M from Blitzcrank’s L Pulse Combo to improve consistency.

• Bug Fixes:

– Fixed an issue where mid-air Rocket Grab (S1) follow ups would sometimes fail when hitting multiple champions.

– Blitzcrank no longer has a hurtbox on their extended arm while performing Steamed Rocket Grab (S1).

– Fixed a bug where some of Blitzcrank’s moves weren’t progressing the “Precisely” Champion Mastery challenge correctly.

We’re taking big swings on Braum’s kit to improve his general feel. His shield now more consistently shields his teammate through various bug fixes, and Stand Behind Me Assist (B.T) has a new animation and lasts for significantly longer.

To help improve Braum’s offense, we’re making one big change to Braum’s kit: he no longer loses Unbreakable when performing The Heart of the Freljord (S2 Super). This should improve his performance, in combination with various offensive improvements—such as a faster L, faster forward movement, and better hitboxes.

• Major adjustments:

– L startup has been decreased by 1 frame. It was 8 frames and is now 7 frames.

– Increased forward movement speed.

– Using The Heart of the Freljord (S2 Super) while Unbreakable no longer removes Unbreakable:

* Previously, losing Unbreakable wasn’t worth the additional damage. With this change, spending that meter should feel better.

– Stand Behind Me Assist (B.T) has a new animation. Braum now walks forward, and its duration has been increased by 24 frames. It was 26 frames and is now 60 frames:

* Braum’s shield is what makes Braum special, and Stand Behind Me Assist did not feel very special. This change is both an improvement for the Assist and thematic for his character.

• Consistency improvements:

– Braum now faces the opponent when performing It’s Easy, See? (D.H > D.H):

* It’s easy, see? often whiffed, so we’re having Braum turn around when he connects with the back side of D.H.

– Unbreakable Iceborn Smash (D.S2) icicle hitboxes are now bigger:

* Unbreakable D.S2 should no longer drop on Happy Birthdays.

– Charged Battering Ram (S2) no longer has a projectile destruction dead zone between the charge and release of the attack.

– Charged Battering Ram (S2) now makes Braum’s hand and arm immune to projectiles during the attack.

• Hitbox and hurtbox improvements:

– Mid-air M hitbox has been improved. The lower part of mid-air M will now hit opponents closer to Braum.

– Revolving Door (F.H), charged Revolving Door, and Revolving Door > One More (F.H > H) hurtboxes have been reduced.

– D.H and It Is Easy, See? (D.H > D.H) hitboxes are larger.

– Tag Launcher hitbox has been adjusted to match its animation better.

• Damage Improvements:

– Standing L recovery has been decreased by 2 frames.

– D.L recovery has been decreased by 2 frames.

– M and D.M hit stun has been increased by 2 frames on grounded opponents. It was 20 frames, and is now 22 frames.

* Both D.M and M now combo into F.H on grounded opponents.

– Two-Step (DF.H) forward translation has been adjusted. It now travels farther on first hit, and less far on second hit.

* The overall distance traveled is the same. This change helps Braum catch Retreating Guards more easily.

• Buffs:

– Poros now have additional projectile durability.

* Poros will now remove most standard projectiles, like Ekko’s Timewinder and Jinx’s rockets.

– Fight, Mighty One (D.S1) hitbox now goes slightly farther, and hits farther inside Braum

* This helps catch rolls and crossup attacks more reliably, and slightly improves the power of Fight, Mighty One.

– The Great Swing (mid-air S2) while not in Unbreakable can now cause a tumble reaction on grounded opponents, matching its behavior while Unbreakable.

– Iceborn Smash (D.S2) recovery has been decreased by 2 frames

* Braum can now continue pressure after hitting a grounded opponent with D.S2, and is at slightly more advantage when performing D.S2 on block.

• Bug fixes:

– Blocking Leap, Little One () in the corner no longer pushes Braum backwards.

– Stand Behind Me (B.S2) will always have the same exit behavior when Handshake Tagging during hitstop.

– Assists inside Braum’s shield will now more consistently be defended against opponent’s attacks.

– Fixed Braum’s weird neck during his intro.

• Known issue:

– In Braum’s command list, The Heart of the Freljord (S2 Super) description says it removes Unbreakable, but it does not.

Darius had trouble opening up opponents, because Apprehend (S1) can be parried on reaction. To improve Apprehend, we’re making it chargeable, which will open up new offensive capabilities for Darius. We’re also improving his neutral by reducing the startup, recovery, and cooldown time of Salted Earth (D.S2).

• Major adjustments:

– L startup has been decreased by 1 frame. It was 8 and is now 7.

• Neutral Improvements:

– Salted Earth (D.S2) was undertuned across the board, and its use was limited. The changes to this move will make it more usable in neutral and in combos:

* Can now be performed sooner after the projectile is erased.

* Startup has been decreased by 2 frames.

* Recovery has been decreased by 2 frames.

* Hit stun has been increased by 3 frames.

* Launch arc has been adjusted.

– H hurtbox size has been decreased.

• Offense Improvements:

– L range has been slightly improved.

– Apprehend (S1) can now be charged:

* When charged, Apprehend does not allow for followups, but is plus on block.

* This will let Darius mix up his timing and prevent parry from always being an answer to Apprehend.

• Combo improvements:

– Final hit of Break the Line > Thin Their Ranks (F.S2 > F.S2) now causes the opponent to fall slightly slower.

– Apprehend > Sunder (S1 > M) knockdown duration has been increased when hitting a grounded opponent.

* This behavior now matches the aerial version.

• Damage improvements:

– Darius isn’t lacking in damage, so we’re being gentle in our buffs here. We’re adding additional benefits to S1 > M on blocking opponents, and generally improving his damage on S1 follow ups:

* S1 > L damage has been increased by 5. It was 85 damage and is now 90.

* S1 > M damage to Bleeding opponents has been increased by 10. It was 120 damage and is now 130.

* S1 > M meter gain on Bleeding opponents has been increased by 2. It was 12 and is now 14.

* S1 > M now deals 30 chip damage to Bleeding opponents.

* S2 > S2 meter gain on Bleeding opponents has been increased by 2. It was 6 and is now 8.

• Nerfs:

– Decimate > Lacerate (S2 > S2) chip damage to Bleeding opponents has been decreased by 5 damage. It was 35 damage and is now 30 damage.

• Bug fixes:

– Fixed a bug where Noxian Might (S2 Super) wasn’t destroying projectiles.

Ekko continues to be a monster in the meta. To reduce the power of his offense, we’re drawing a line in the sand: Ekko can no longer cancel a failed throw into a Replay (S2 with Afterimage).

• Buffs:

– Heel Tap (DF.L) hit stun has been increased by 2 frames. It was 13 frames and is now 15 frames.

– Heel Tap (DF.L) now pushes opponents less far on hit.

– Step Up (H while running) now increments combo scaling by 1 instead of by 3.

• Nerfs:

– Can no longer Replay (S2 with Afterimage) out of a failed throw attempt.

* We found that the on-block pressure this gave Ekko was problematic, and having a no-commitment strike-throw didn’t align with Ekko’s champion fantasy. For both reasons, we’re cutting this interaction.

– M range has been slightly decreased.

– Flip It (DF.M) hit stun has been decreased on interrupt.

* This move can now only combo into L on interrupt.

– First hit of Mega Timewinder (S1 Super) now causes damage scaling.

* This will reduce Ekko’s overall damage off stray hits.

– Attempt #37 (Ultimate) block stun has been decreased by 6 frames. It was -22 frames and is now -28 frames.

– Attempt #37 (Ultimate) pushback on air block against mid-air opponents has been decreased.

* This move was difficult to punish on air block. It’s now a bit easier.

– Chronobreak (D.S2 with Volatile Afterimage) and mid-air Chronobreak meter gain has been decreased by 2. It was 10 and is now 8.

• Pulse Combo:

– Removed mid-air from Ekko’s Pulse Combo to improve consistency.

• Bug Fixes:

– Mega Timewinder ( Super) now continues traveling when parried.

– Fixed a bug that caused Ekko to dash away in the wrong direction when his Tangled Timeline ( Super) install dissipated while crossing an enemy.

– Beginner Combo Trial 7 now displays the correct input.

Illaoi wasn’t being rewarded for performing difficult combo routes. To help encourage more routing decisions, we’re lowering damage on Illaoi’s mediums and improving the damage on Illaoi’s Riptide (F.S1) just frame and charged [H].

• Major Adjustments:

– L startup has been decreased by 1 frame. It was 8 and is now 7.

• Consistency improvements:

– Second hitbox of charged D[H] has been slightly improved, so it always combos off the first hit of charged D[H].

– Tidal Swing (D.S1) hitstop on interrupt has been increased.

– Tidal Swing (D.S1) now causes soft launch flip on interrupt.

– Tentacles no longer use hitstop when accounting for spawn timings. Tentacles will now spawn at consistent timings when Handshake Tagging, or when hitstop is otherwise interrupted:

* This was most common when performing Guiding Hand Assist (F.T) into a Handshake Tag.

• Tentacle behavior updates:

– Faith in Motion (mid-air ) block stun and tentacle spawn timings have been adjusted to account for the new tentacle hitstop rule:

* This is now a true block string.

• Damage Buffs:

– Charged [H] and Illaoi’s just frame tentacle were woefully underused, and have been significantly improved as combo starters. This will improve Illaoi’s corner combos, and create more of a reason to go for her more difficult routes:

* Charged [H] no longer causes damage scaling on the second hit.

* Charged Harsh Lesson (F[S2]) damage has been increased by 20. It was 130 damage and is now 150.

* Harsh Lesson (F.S2) damage has been increased by 10. It was 110 and is now 120.

* Just frame tentacle damage has been increased by 20. It was 90 damage and is now 110

* Just frame meter gain has been increased by 3. It was 14 and is now 17.

• Damage Nerfs:

– Standing M, crouching M, and mid-air M damage has been decreased by 5. It was 65 damage and is now 60 damage.

– Serpent’s Tongue (mid-air S1) tentacle stab meter gain has been decreased by 1. It was 5 and is now 4.

• Ultimate Nerfs:

– Test of Spirit (Ultimate) startup has been increased by 4 frames. It was 5 frames and is now 9 frames.

• Bug Fixes:

– Fixed a bug that caused Illaoi to fly away after KOing the opponent.

Jinx continues to struggle against the aggression in the meta, and some of her projectiles aren’t being used as often as others. We want Jinx to use every tool in her toolbox, so we’re improving her underutilized moves, with significant buffs to Pow Pow Up-Up! (B.S1) and improvements to Flame Chompers! (F.S1).

• Trap Improvements:

– Jinx often chose to use other projectiles over Flame Chompers! (F.S1) in neutral. We’re improving recovery on Flame Chompers! and Fly Clappy, Fly! (D.S1) so Jinx can throw out projectiles more readily and get some more setups off of throws and knockdowns.

– Charged Flame Chompers! (F[S1]) changes:

* Total move duration has been decreased by 8 frames. It was 63 frames and is now 55 frames.

* Chompers no longer causes damage scaling when first attached. This applies to both charged and uncharged Flame Chompers! (F.S1).
– Flame Chompers! (F.S1) changes:

* Startup and recovery have both been decreased by 2 frames, so total duration has been decreased by 4 frames. It was 55 frames and is now 51 frames.

* Chompers no longer causes damage scaling when first attached. This applies to both charged and uncharged Flame Chompers! (F.S1).

* Now does more damage when it connects in neutral and in combos. This applies to Flame Chompers Assist (T) as well.

– Fly Clappy, Fly! (D.S1) recovery has been decreased by 3 frames. It was 50 frames and is now 47 frames.

• Buffs:

– Pow Pow Up-Up! (B.S1) was undertuned. Since it scaled damage on each bullet, anti-airing with it didn’t deal much, and it was hard to follow up. Pow Pow Up-Up! is now significantly more rewarding on hit, and has more uses in combos.

– Pow Pow Up-Up! (B.S1) changes:

* Now knocks opponents into the air on ground hit, and has adjusted launch arcs.

* Hit stun has been increased by 4 frames. It was 42 frames and is now 46 frames.

* No longer causes damage scaling on each bullet. Damage now scales the combo on the middle and final bullet.

* Can now only be cancelled into Fishbones! (S2) or Zap! (B.S2) after the sixth bullet fires.

* Bullets that cause damage scaling now deal 10 more damage. It was 20 damage and is now 30 damage. Their meter gain has also been increased—it was 2 and is now 3.

– H recovery has been decreased by 2 frames. It was -11 on block and is now -9.

* H is no longer punished by Ultimates or Yasuo’s Storm Breaker (S1 Super) on block.
– H hitbox has been lowered to hit crouchers more consistently:

* M into H was whiffing on crouchers at long ranges. This is now much more consistent, and has the benefit of hitting grounded Flame Chompers! (F.S1).

• Nerfs:

– Super Mega Death Rocket Monkey Cannon! (Ultimate) explosion chip damage has been decreased by 40%.

* This is the only Ultimate that gets its entire damage on block, so the chip damage was overtuned on this move.

– Tons of Fishbones Assist (D.T) does not fire additional projectiles if any projectile is interrupted.

– Jinx’s crouching hurtbox is now larger.

• Damage Adjustments:

– We’re normalizing Jinx’s grounded and aerial damage to be equal.

– M damage has been increased by 5. It was 55 damage and is now 60.

– First hit of D.M damage has been increased by 10. It was 30 damage and is now 40:

* D.M is underused, so we’re improving its overall damage to encourage its use in blockstrings and in routing.

– Mid-air M damage has been decreased by 5. It was 65 damage and is now 60.

• Pulse Combo:

– Removed mid-air M from Jinx’s L Pulse Combo to improve consistency.

• Bug Fixes:

– Warwick’s Infinite Duress (S1 Super) will now properly track a Jinx performing Fishbones, Hop! (D.S2), on the ground and mid-air.

We accelerated most major Teemo nerfs to our previous balance patch, and we’re seeing positive outcomes from those changes—Teemo is still performing, but is not dominating.

We’re shipping the remaining Teemo nerfs that weren’t significant enough to accelerate to the previous balance patch. While these are nerfs, they’re designed to clean up remaining inaccuracies or outliers in his kit, rather than bring down his power meaningfully.

• Buffs:

– L > L and L > L > L recovery has been decreased by 3 frames. It was 32 frames and is now 29 frames:

* L > L and L > L > L now have the same recovery as L.

• Nerfs:

– M block stun has been decreased by 4 frames. It was 22 frames and is now 18 frames.

– Axe-cidental Damage (H > H) recovery has been increased by 5 frames. It was -4 on block and is now -9 on block.

* Teemo’s M and H > H had frame data that didn’t align with other champions.

– Bandle Sky Patrol (S1 Super) changes:

* Number of darts fired has been decreased by 1. It was 9 darts and is now 8 darts.

* Damage per dart has been increased by 4. It was 26 damage per dart and is now 30 damage per dart.

* We’re reducing this move’s overall duration to make it less frustrating.

– Retreat! (D.S2) is now invulnerable frame 4, instead of invulnerable frame 2.

* Our non-Ultimate invulnerable moves generally gain invulnerability frame 4, and Teemo was an outlier here. This is now in-line with other invulnerable moves in our game.

– Noxious Sweeper Assist (D.T) changes:

* Duration has been decreased by 33 frames. It was 220 frames and is now 187 frames.

* Now throws fewer mushrooms.

– Bushfire duration while not making contact with opponents has been decreased by 2 seconds. It was 4 seconds and is now 2 seconds.

* Bushfire lasted too long in neutral and shut down the opponent’s ability to interact with Teemo for too long.

• Badge Nerfs:

– Slingshot badge requirement has been increased by 1. It was 5 and is now 6

– Mushroom badge requirement has been increased by 2. It was 10 and is now 12.

– Dart badge requirement has been increased by 3. It was 12 and is now 15.

• Hurbox Adjustments:

– Standing hurtbox size in front of Teemo has been increased.

* Champions can now combo standing Teemo properly.

We’re making a significant improvement to Vi by allowing her to cancel charged Knuckle Down (Footwork (F.S1 or B.S1 > H) into S1 specials. We want to continue to emphasize Footwork in Vi’s routes and her pressure, and this change will improve her pressure strings when she wins neutral. We’re also buffing Fastball Assist (D.T) by letting it hit grounded opponents, and taking some power away from Denting Blows (S2).

• Buffs:

– Hook (Footwork > L) on interrupt now has the properties of a fully charged Hook.

– Charged mid-air Vault Breaker (S1) damage has been increased by 5. It was 135 damage and is now 140.

– Charged Knuckle Down (Footwork > H) can now be canceled into S1 specials.

* Vi will now be properly rewarded for making the opponent block this move, and she’ll be able to continue pressure more effectively than before. This also opens up combo routes that emphasize her Footwork suite.

– During the throw animation of One Girl Wrecking Crew (F.S1 > MH), opponents can now be hit earlier.

* This allows your Assist champ to land attacks while the opponent is still airborne.

– Mid-air and grounded Crater Maker (mid-air S2 and D.S2) damage has been increased by 5. It was 105 damage and is now 110.

– Mid-air and grounded Crater Maker (mid-air S2 and D.S2) are now more advantageous when opponents air block. Changes:

* Air block stun has been increased by 9 frames. It was 26 frames and is now 35 frames.

* Now launches opponents higher.

* Recovery has been decreased by 4 frames. It was 39 and is now 35.

* Crater Maker didn’t lead to advantage for Vi on air block. Now when Vi connects with Crater Maker on an air-blocking opponent, she won’t be at disadvantage.

– Fastball Assist (D.T) now OTGs when Vi pulls up the rock.

* We’re okay with some champions having weaker Super Assists than others. However, this move was difficult to use. It now OTGs the opponent so it can be used in combos, similar to how Vi uses Crater Maker Assist (B.T).

– Increased projectile durability of Fastball Assist (D.T). It will now beat common projectiles.

• Nerfs:

– Vi will now be lower when performing Knuckle Down (Footwork/ > ), and will now have a hitbox that allows to hit her during the charge.

* With the buff to charged Knuckle Down, we want to ensure it has proper counterplay.

– Denting Blows (S2) now causes 2 hits of damage scaling.

– Fastball Assist (D.T) vertical hitbox has been decreased to match its animation better.

• Bug Fixes:

– Fixed a bug that sometimes prevented followup actions out of Footwork (F.S1).

– Fixed a bug that made Vi side-swap with opponents while performing One Girl Wrecking Crew (F.S1 > M + H) in the corner.

We’re focusing on three changes for Warwick: improving stability, improving Bloodlust, and improving underused special moves.

Many of Warwick’s attacks were dropping at unexpected moments, especially against airborne opponents. We’re improving how his normals and specials work against airborne opponents, making Savage Slashes > No Escape (S2 > S2 Super) easier to combo, and making vault followups more consistent. Many of his moves have had adjustments to launch distance or hit stun. These changes are all minor (despite the length of this section), but contribute to a much more stable experience.

To help Warwick’s offense, Wrath of the Beast (F.S1) and Claws of the Beast (S1) travel faster and farther while in Bloodlust. Climb Rend (Primal Climb/ B near corner > M) is more useful in pressure, and Spinning Slicer (mid-air S2) gives more advantage on hit.

• Consistency Improvements – Normals:

– L hit stun has been increased by 1 frame. It was 13 frames and is now 14 frames.

* L can now combo into mid-air L.

– M now launches aerial opponents farther.

– H and charged [H] hitbox sizes have been increased vertically.

* Both M launch distance and H changes improve Warwick’s ability to combo airborne opponents while grounded.

– D.H hit stun has been increased by 1 frame. It was 24 frames and is now 25 frames.

– Charged mid-air H charge time has been increased by 1 frame. It was 12 frames and is now 13 frames.


* D.H will now combo into aerial normals more consistently.

• Consistency Improvements – Specials:

– Primal Leap (D.S1) and Claws of the Beast > Primal Leap Cancel (S1 > UP) jump height has been increased.

* Primal Leap > Tear (D.S1 > M) will now combo more consistently when performing a Primal Leap Cancel mid-combo.
– Primal Leap > Pursuit (D.S1 > L) now launches opponents less high. Does not apply to the Primal Climb (Back near corner) version.

* This change keeps opponents lower when performing Primal Leap > Pursuit (D.S1 > L), which makes followups more consistent.

– Savage Slashes (S2) followup strikes are now more stable.

* Savage Slashes (S2) often dropped at unexpected moments. We made a bunch of different adjustments to change this.

* Increased hitbox size of all of Warwick’s swipes.

* Increased hit stun so followups can be delayed to adjust routes.

* Launching swipe will now launch the opponent higher or lower depending on their position.

– First hit of Spinning Slicer (mid-air S2) launch height has been increased.

– First hit of Spinning Slicer (mid-air S2) hit stun has been increased by 6 frames. It was 18 frames and is now 24 frames.

* These changes allow Spinning Slicer > Infinite Duress (mid-air S2 > S1 Super) to connect if you cancel on the first hit of Spinning Slicer.

– Final hit of Blood Seeker (D.S2) while in Bloodlust now launches the opponent farther.

* Blood Seeker (D.S2) > Primal Leap Cancel > Spinning Slicer (mid-air S2) is now more consistent.

– Second-to-last hit of No Escape (S2 Super) launches the opponent farther.

* This improves the move’s combo stability.

• Hurtbox Improvements:

– Claws of the Beast (S1) and Rage of the Beast (F.S1) no longer have a hurtbox on Warwick’s back foot.

– Rage of the Beast () while in Bloodlust no longer has a hurtbox on Warwick’s inner arm.

* This change was made to prevent opponents from hitting Warwick while crossing up the opponent.

• Buffs:

– Ankle Swipe (DF.H) changes:

* Block stun has been increased by 3. It was -11 and is now -8 on block.

* Now has a slightly longer range.

– Climb Rend (Primal Climb near corner) changes:

* Block stun has been increased by 6 frames. It was 18 frames and is now 24 frames.

* Hitbox size has been increased.

* Climb Rend was often worse than its Primal Leap > Tear (D.S1 > M) variant. It now has more advantages, and has a hitbox that lets it combo more consistently against airborne opponents.

– Claws of the Beast (S1) while in Bloodlust now makes Warwick run 30% faster.

– Wrath of the Beast (F.S1) now travels 15% farther.

– Wrath of the Beast (Bloodlust F.S1) pushes the opponent farther on block.

– The second, third, and fourth hits of Savage Slashes (S2) push opponents 20% less far on block.

* Savage Slashes followups will no longer whiff on blocking opponents without the opponent performing a Retreating Guard.

– Feral Feast (Bloodlust F.S2) was -8 frames and is now -5 frames. Frame data now matches Feral Bite (F.S2) on block.
– Landing recovery of Spinning Slicer’s (mid-air S2) final hit has been reduced by 4 frames. It was 24 frames and is now 20 frames. Also, Warwick’s fall speed after performing the move has been increased.
* Spinning Slicer’s final hit was not particularly useful, and was difficult to combo with teammates. We’re making its recovery faster so that Warwick can continue pressure and enable additional Assist partners.
– No Escape (S2 Super) startup has been reduced by 2 frames. It was 15 frames and is now 13 frames.
* We’re increasing the speed of No Escape (S2 Super) to make Savage Slashes (S2) into No Escape more consistent.
– Blood Hunt (Ultimate) startup has been reduced by 4 frames. It was 16 frames and is now 12 frames.
* Blood Hunt was slow enough to allow champions to attack and block in time. This is no longer the case.

• Nerfs:

– Claws of the Beast (S1) block stun has been reduced by 2 frames. It was -6 frames and is now -8 frames on block.

* Punishing Warwick’s low and overhead options was not equally accessible to the entire cast. We’re uniting both his committal high and committal low to make the punishment easy to understand and equitable across all champions.

– First hit of Savage Slashes (S2) now travels 12.5% less far.

* Savage Slashes was traveling far enough to where it would often cross under opponents after M or H.

* We’re reducing the range to help with stability. As a result, Savage Slashes will be a less useful tool in neutral and at round start.

• Bug Fixes:

– Infinite Duress (S1 Super) will now properly track a Warwick performing Primal Climb (Back near corner) and a Jinx performing Fishbones, Hop! (D.S2) or mid-air Fishbones, Hop!.

– Fixed a bug where Infinite Duress (S1 Super) would not always reach the opponent.

– Final hit of Blood Seeker (D.S2) now hits both sides while in Bloodlust.

– Spinning Slicer > Spinning Slicer follow up (mid-air S2 > S2) now does the same amount of damage regardless of where it hits.

– Fixed a rare visual bug on No Escape (S2 Super).

– Blood Hunt (Ultimate) can no longer be anti-aired.

– Fixed a bug that caused the Bloodlust animation to play at the start of the next round.

– Ahri’s up-forward Spirit Rush (UF.S2) should now consistently pass through Warwick on hit.

Yasuo continues to be strong in neutral and on offense. To build clearer weaknesses for him, we’re giving Yasuo more recovery on M and D.M. This is more recovery than other champions have on their medium attacks—but we believe that it’s in-character for Yasuo to want to take his shots carefully, rather than mash and get a full conversion.

• Buffs:

– M now has an additional hitbox to hit crouchers more reliably.

* With the added recovery of M, this move whiffing on crouchers would have a devastating outcome for Yasuo.

* It will still hit standing opponents at a farther range than crouchers, but will whiff against crouchers far less often.
– D.H hitbox size has been increased.

– Sweeping Blade (F.S1) hit stun on grounded opponents has been increased by 8 frames. It was 20 frames and is now 28 frames.

• Nerfs:

– M recovery has been increased by 6 frames. It was 18 frames and is now 24 frames.

– D.M recovery has been increased by 5 frames. It was 21 frames and is now 26 frames.

* Yasuo’s on-block pressure is particularly strong. To add clearer counterplay to M attacks, we want his whiffs to be more meaningful.

– Steel Tempest (S1) has a reduced hitbox close to Yasuo. It now hits farther away from Yasuo.

* Steel Tempest (S1) would occasionally catch champions who successfully jumped in on Yasuo. This should occur much less often.

– When performing Gale Blade > Returning Gale > Settling Gale (mid-air S1 > S1 > S2), the opponent now falls faster.

* Yasuo can no longer Storm Breaker ( Super) afterwards.

* This reduces overall frame advantage on the move.

– Gale Blade (mid-air S1) changes:

* Now is in counterhit recovery

* Increased size of throwable area. Is now easier to throw a Yasuo performing mid-air S1.

* Lower hitbox is now removed after 6 frames.

– Gale Blade > Settling Gale (mid-air S1 > S2) now pushes the opponent less far on block.

– Sweeping Blade Assist (F.T) now has a hurtbox behind Yasuo.

• Pulse Combo:

– Removed mid-air M from Yasuo’s L: Pulse Combo to improve consistency.

• Bug Fixes:

– Yasuo’s aerial collision pill now matches other champions.

* Combos will no longer drop specifically on Yasuo.

– Fixed a bug where Yasuo would be idling in Calm Stance if a champion died during the startup of Calm Stance.

– Fixed a bug where the first instance of damage of Storm Breaker (S1 Super) could not KO an opponent.

– Turbulent Wind (S2) will no longer slash the air multiple times if you perform a Handshake Tag at a specific timing.

– Fixed a bug that prevented the Assist character’s Super Assist from coming out when using Storm Breaker (S1 Super) with Sidekick Fuse equipped.