Worlds Patch Arrives! League of Legends Patch 25.20 Preview: Azir Tweaks, Pantheon Buffs, and More

With Worlds 2025 on the horizon, pro play will undoubtedly be the main focus of LoL Patch 25.20. Delivering the finishing touches on what is expected to be the meta at the biggest League of Legends tournament of the year, this new update will also set out to take care of a few problematic champions when it comes to Solo Queue, though.

Let's take a look at what's coming our way when LoL Patch 25.20 arrives on Wednesday, October 8th, as it sets the stage for Worlds 2025.

Will Pantheon Remain a Permaban?

Pantheon is getting some of his power back. (Credit: Riot Games)

As far as pro play goes, Pantheon has been a problem nearly all year long. Over in Split 3 of the LTA North, for instance, the champion was banned for 67 out of 68 games. With a point-and-click CC, a global ultimate, and good early burst, the champion just offers too much value in the hands of the world's best players.

Recently, Riot aimed to correct this by nerfing some of Pantheon's jungle damage modifiers in recent patches. The problem? His Solo Queue win rate plummeted, sitting at an abysmal 46.32% in the Jungle across all ranks currently. Now, Pantheon will receive some of his Jungle damage back in Patch 25.20, which begs the question: will Pantheon be allowed to see the light of day at Worlds 2025, or will he remain one of the game's most banned champions for the final tournament of the season?

Azir: Figuring Out the Puzzle

Azir continues to be a difficult problem to solve when it comes to pro play. (Credit: Riot Games)

Like with Pantheon, the gap between pro play and Solo Queue continues to expand when it comes to Azir. Despite currently being the single lowest win rate Mid Laner in Solo Queue (44.94%), the champion continues to be a high-value pick in pro play.

To try and get this issue sorted ahead of Worlds 2025, Azir will be receiving several tweaks to his kit in LoL Patch 25.20. These changes aim to reduce the strength of Azir's soldiers in the early-to-mid game, while shifting some of that power over to his [E] Shifting Sands instead.

"We're looking for a power neutral change that shifts some power away from some of the Pro attributes to other parts of his kit to give him some more clear strengths and weaknesses that hopefully gives some power back to regular players in the process."

Now it's only a matter of time before finding out whether these tweaks will finally land Azir in a healthy spot across all levels of the game.

Jungler Terrors Take a Hit

It was high-time these three champions received some nerfs. (Credit: Riot Games)

Leaving Worlds aside for a minute, Patch 25.20 will set out to bring down three of the strongest Jungle champions when it comes to the ranked ladder: Briar, Warwick, and Volibear.

Thanks to their straightforward kits and slightly overtuned numbers, all three of these Junglers have been terrorizing Solo Queue for months. Now, the new patch will nerf Briar, Warwick, and Volibear, allowing for new picks to rise up the Jungle.

The Return of Tank Fizz?

Patch 25.20 will deliver several number tweaks to Fizz' kit. (Credit: Riot Games)

In one of the most unexpected appearances of the patch, Fizz will receive several number tweaks across his [W] Seastone Trident and [R] Chum the Waters, essentially buffing their base numbers but reducing the AP scaling on both abilities.

Years back, Fizz players turned away from AP builds and towards tankier alternatives given the champion's high base values at the time. While it may be too early to call the same thing happening now, it will certainly be interesting to follow how players adapt to the changes as they seek new ways to push the champion's kit to the max.

Ready for Worlds 2025

This is it; the patch that will host the best League of Legends teams in the world as they clash for glory is arriving. While Patch 25.20 will not be turning the meta upside down, several questions will still linger in the air as players figure out the best champions and compositions to take to the stage.

Will Pantheon continue to be an issue? Is Azir's kit still suitable for the highest level of play? Are there any surprise picks and builds waiting in the wings? Find out when Worlds 2025 kicks off on October 14th!

All information about LoL Patch 25.20 was taken from an X (Twitter) post made by Matt "Phroxzon" Leung-Harrison, Lead Gameplay Designer for League of Legends. If you'd like to have a look at the complete list of changes, make sure to check out the post!

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Featured image credit: Riot Games

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