ARAM changes are live on the PBE: Here's what's new

ARAM, or All Random All Mid, is the only alternate game mode and map that still exists permanently in "League of Legends," and in Patches 12.22 and 12.23, Howling Abyss will be getting its first upgrade in years.

In a Nov. 14 blog post, Modes Design Lead Daniel "Riot Maxw3ll" Emmons and Community Manager Lilu "Riot Riru" Cabreros detailed changes to Howling Abyss's environment and champion balance to make the game less frustrating. The changes are now live on the Public Beta Environment, or PBE, along with three draft phase quality-of-life buffs.

Environmental changes

Hexgates: Say hello to never-ending teamfights! The widely loved feature from Summoner's Rift is making its way to ARAM with a few tweaks for single-lane play.

While they're available to use all game, they initially teleport you from your nexus to your team's outer tower. Once the outer tower has been destroyed, the hexgate instead teleports you to your inhibitor turret for the rest of the game.

"And yes," the blog post says, "you can use your enemy's hexgate."

Falling towers: Turrets no longer harmlessly fall over. When they're destroyed, they collapse and create new terrain on the map. This is be a boon for champions like Poppy, Talon and Ornn, who can all interact with terrain.

More brush: Howling Abyss now also sports longer brush on the left side of the bridge, as well as a new brush "big enough to fit a team of five" at the center of the right side of the bridge.

Champion balance changes

Live starting with Patch 12.22:

• Akali, Kennen, Lee Sin and Zed receive 20% bonus energy regeneration.
• Akali, Ekko, Elise, Evelynn, Fizz, Kassadin, Katarina, Kayn, Kha'Zix, LeBlanc, Pyke, Qiyana, Rek'Sai, Rengar, Talon and Zed receive 20% bonus tenacity.
• Ashe receives -20 ability haste.

Live starting with Patch 12.23:

• All champions will have their omnivamp and lifesteal reduced by 50%. This is mainly to reduce the seemingly infinite sustain of marksmen.
• Champion damage changed from -15% when over 1,000 units away to 15-30% when between 1,000-2,000+ units away. This does not affect ultimate abilities, which means Kai'Sa's W is nerfed while Jinx and Ashe's ults are not.
• All melee champions get 15 bonus magic resist, up from 10.

Quality-of-life buffs

• Battle Boosts are no longer anonymous.
• Using Battle Boost skins is no longer mandatory.
• Players can now see in champ select which champions will give you a hextech chest with an S or S+ rank.

Featured photo courtesy of Riot Games.