Patch 5.22 for League of Legends welcomes 2016 early with some preseason changes

With The League of Legends 2015 World Championship series done and dusted, Riot have free reign over their game once more, and instead of taking a break, they’re looking toward 2016. Sure, they’ve done some minor changes already over the past few weeks with the likes of patch 5.19 through to 5.21, but 5.22 is now here, and it’s bringing with it a host of preseason changes to Summoner’s Rift.

So what’s on the docket for us this year? Well, to be frank, a little bit of everything. We’re looking to make every game of League feels unique, and that means going the distance to make sure your decisions matter. From the champions you pick, the masteries you choose, and the way you express yourself with Items, 2016’s all about meaningful choices.

Sounds like the usual stuff Riot sales pitch. How exactly do they plan on making a player’s decisions more important though for example? For starters, by giving certain ranged champions some neat reworks:

For the bottom laners of the world, we’ve got 6 marksman reworks aimed at tuning, tweaking and reinforcing their strategic identities. Toss in a bunch of new items to enable new playstyles (do I want siege? How about pushing? dueling?) and you’ve got a whole new world of ranged damage dealing to explore.

And that’s just the beginning. There are changes to other champions (not reworks necessarily – just balancing), attack damage and mana adjustments, system changes, and trust me, a ton more. You can read up on patch 5.22 in detail here, or you can watch the official League of Legends spotlight video instead. It gives a nice overview of all the changes that come with the preseason update.

I really have to take my hat off to Riot, and yes, I know I’ve said that about a million times. Seriously though, they are constantly looking for new ways to keep League of Legends fresh and interesting, and that I suppose, is why to this day, it remains the most played MOBA in the world. Other developers could really take a hint or five (I’m looking at you, Valve).

Last Updated: November 11, 2015