League of Legends Patch 25.11 Preview: AP Twitch, Ryze Buffs, and More

League of Legends is gearing up for the arrival of Patch 25.11, which looks set to turn things upside down. From the return of old pesky picks, large buffs to some forgotten favorites, and tweaks to overperforming champions, the new patch will bring a large shift to the meta.

Let's have a look at some of the biggest changes poised to land with the arrival of League of Legends Patch 25.11, set to go live on Wednesday, May 28th.

AP Twitch Returns!

AP Twitch may be back to terrorize solo queue once more. (Credit: Riot Games)

Twitch is ready to receive large buffs to the AP scaling of his [E] Contaminate per stack of [P] Deadly Venom. This means that building full AP – starting off with Nashor's Tooth – may be a viable start for the Plague Rat once more.

AP Twitch offers a unique playstyle that is unlike almost anything in League of Legends. That said, it can also be an absolute pain to deal with for the team on the other side. To truly benefit from the new buffs, though, Twitch will need consistent access to gold.

This means that AP Twitch is expected to make a return in the bot lane, but not necessarily as a support pick. Whether the buffs will prove enough to see AP Twitch compete with his AD alternative remains to be seen.

"Trying to focus changes in the direction of farming AP Twitch compared support AP Twitch which we're less happy with. Granted, the buffs here take an extremely weak champion to a still weak champion, just a little less weak."

Ryze (and Aatrox) on the Rise

A pro play classic, Ryze is getting considerable buffs in Patch 25.11. (Credit: Riot Games)

Given that Ryze has been in a relatively weak state for a while now, buffs to his kit seemed to be imminent. We did not expect the buffs would be this big, though. In Patch 25.11, Ryze's [E] Flux + [Q] Overload combo is about to hit way harder in the early levels, considerably helping the Rune Mage out during one of the weakest stages of his game.

Likewise, buffs to Aatrox's [Q] The Darkin Blade sweet spot damage and his [W] Infernal Chains dealing physical damage once more might see the champion rise in the top lane yet again. Past pro play staples in their respective lanes, perhaps the recent buffs will deliver Ryze and Aatrox to the professional stage once more after Patch 25.11 goes live.

Crit Garen No More

Looks like it might be time to return to more traditional Garen builds. (Credit: Riot Games)

Garen will be receiving large changes in the new patch, including a considerable nerf to the damage of his [R] Demacian Justice. Perhaps the most important of the changes, though, will be the nerfs to the Critical Strike scalings to Garen's [E] Judgment.

Now, Garen won't be able to just build some crit and spin his way to victory. These changes will push the top lane menace to build more like a traditional bruiser moving forward, something long-time Garen enjoyers may be looking forward to.

Annie, Smolder, and Cho'Gath's Brief Time in the Sun

Smolder's staggering win rate and pick rate demanded some nerfs. (Credit: Riot Games)

All three of Annie, Smolder and Cho'Gath became some of the best champions to climb ranked with after their recent buffs, boasting impressive win rates with straightforward playstyles. Now, that may all be coming to an end.

The arrival of Patch 25.11 to League of Legends will bring with it nerfs to all three of these champions, cutting their honeymoons short with one swift drop of the axe. For the time being, it remains to be seen whether the nerfs will be enough to see Annie, Smolder, and Cho'Gath fall into oblivion, or simply return them to a balanced state.

Keeping Up with Patch 25.11

Whether you're looking to climb the ranked ladder or just eyeing the evolving drafts on the pro scene, it's important to keep up with the latest League of Legends updates. The new changes are set to bring a large shift in the meta, so make sure you try your hand at the new-look Ryze, Aatrox, or even AP Twitch when League of Legends Patch 25.11 lands on Wednesday, May 28th.

All information about LoL Patch 25.11 was taken from an X (Twitter) post made by Matt "Phroxzon" Leung-Harrison, League of Legends' Lead Gameplay Designer. If you'd like to have a look at the complete list of changes, make sure to visit the post.

Follow Strafe Esports for all the latest League news and our X account for the latest content and coverage. Also, stay tuned to Strafe YouTube for exclusive interviews, press conferences, and more.

Featured image credit: Riot Games

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