League of Legends Patch 25.20 defines Worlds 2025 by favouring strategic macro and aggressive skirmishes

The 2025 League of Legends World Championship is almost here, and with just eight days before the tournament begins, Riot Games has released Patch 25.20.

Meticulously designed to fine-tune the competitive meta, this patch ensures strategic yet bold gameplay at the highest level. From buffs to underperforming champions to subtle nerfs for low-skill dominance, Patch 25.20 sets the stage for teams to showcase skill, strategy and adaptability on the world’s biggest stage.

As confirmed in an interview with Esports Insider, Patch 25.20 is the only patch that will be played at Worlds 2025, meaning all teams must adapt to its changes and work through its nuances. Riot’s lead gameplay designer, Matt Leung-Harrison, highlighted that the goal is to encourage champion diversity, promote strategic depth, and prevent early-game dominance from skewing professional matches.

In broad terms, Patch 25.20 focuses on strengthening underperforming champions and subtly adjusting overperformers to create a balanced pro meta. 

Top laners like Malphite and Camille receive early-game buffs to solidify lane control, while AD scaling fighters like Graves are adjusted for more sustained combat rather than short skirmishes. Mid lane changes focus on assassins and mages, with Azir’s early laning power tempered to reward late-game risk-taking plays — the hope could be a re-run of Worlds 2023 Semifinals.

Champions across top, mid, and jungle roles received buffs, nerfs, or tweaks that prioritise skilful and tactical gameplay. For instance, Anivia’s reduced Q cooldown and increased E damage make her a stronger control mage, favouring teams who focus on methodical wave management and position control.

Meanwhile, Azir’s early-lane power softening benefits scaling teams that excel in late-game macro plays and coordinated teamfights. 

Top-lane buffs to Camille and Malphite support early aggression and skirmishing, aligning with teams that rely on proactive laning to secure objectives.

In the jungle, Briar’s reduced maximum passive stacks prevent overpowered low-skill jungle performance while still rewarding calculated play, benefiting teams that focus on strategic jungle control and objective prioritisation. Graves’ sustained damage changes and Fizz’s reduced snowball dependency enhance flexibility for teams that prefer coordinated ganks and mid-game skirmishes rather than early explosive snowballs. 

System-level changes also shape strategic options. Extended top-lane swap detection aims to prevent early 2v1 lanes, promoting more thoughtful lane assignments and rotations. Teams with strong early-game adaptability gain more room to execute creative rotations and map control without being punished by unintended snowball lanes. 

Overall, Patch 25.20 seems to favour teams that combine macro planning with calculated aggression, rewarding strategic drafting — an exciting perspective considering Worlds will be played with Fearless Draft.

Teams like Hanwha Life Esports, G2 Esports, and BLG are particularly well-positioned to capitalise on these adjustments, but only time will tell which one will master this patch and win Worlds 2025.