The last patch of Season 1, Act 1 has arrived, bringing a major systemic item update, champion balance changes, a revamped Honor system, and exciting new skins. Riot Games is nerfing top-tier tank items, buffing crit ADC builds, and adjusting champions like Elise and Diana to better balance their roles.

Source: Riot Games latest patch notes for League Of Legends.

This patch also introduces Masked Justice Yone, Masked Justice Lucian, Masked Justice Senna, and Quantum Galaxy Slayer Zed, launching on February 20, 2025, at 21:00 UTC.

Related: Masked Justice & Mythic Quantum Galaxy Slayer Zed : A Hit or a Miss?

Let’s dive into everything included in Patch 25.04!

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Patch Naming Update

Riot is reverting to a simpler patch numbering system. Instead of 25.S1.4, patches will now follow a year-based format, meaning this update is officially Patch 25.04, with Patch 25.24 being the last of the year. In January 2026, patches will start at 26.1.

This change aligns with how Riot names other major events like Worlds.

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Honor System Revamp

The Honor system has been completely reworked to better reflect player behavior.

Key Changes:

✅ Honor now updates dynamically based on recent positive behavior, rather than progressing steadily over a season.
✅ Honor 3 represents neutral behavior, allowing full communication and gameplay privileges.
✅ Higher Honor levels reward Battle Pass XP drops and allow access to exclusive pings.
✅ Honor 5 players will receive Three Honors skins for Malzahar, Shen, and Akshan, along with Grey Warwick and Medieval Twitch.
✅ Players with Honor 1 and 2 will have communication restrictions due to recent penalties.
✅ Honor Checkpoints & Seasonal Resets are removed—progression is now based on recent behavior.

For a full breakdown, check the Honor FAQ.

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Champion Balance Changes

Ashe – Buffed

🔹 Q – Ranger’s Focus: Flurry damage increased from 110-130% AD → 111-135% AD.
🔹 W – Volley: AD ratio increased from 100% bonus AD → 110% bonus AD.
🔹 R – Enchanted Crystal Arrow:

• Base damage increased from 200/400/600 → 250/450/650.
• Secondary targets now take 100% damage instead of 50%.

Diana – Adjusted (Nerfed for Jungle, Buffed for Mid Lane)

🔻 Passive – Moonsilver Blade: Monster damage reduced from 300% → 225%.
🔹 Q – Crescent Strike: Damage increased from 60-200 → 70-210.
🔹 W – Pale Cascade: Max damage increased from 54-198 → 60-204.

Ekko – Buffed

🔹 Q – Timewinder: Base damage increased from 70-130 → 80-140.

Elise – Adjusted (Buffed for Jungle, Nerfed for Support)

🔻 W (Human Form) – Volatile Spiderling: Damage reduced from 60-240 (+95% AP) → 60-220 (+75% AP).
🔹 W (Spider Form) – Skittering Frenzy:

• Cooldown reduced from 10s → 6s.
• Attack speed bonus increased from 60-100% → 60-120%.
  🔹 R – Spider Form: Spiderling damage increased from 8-26 (+15% AP) → 10-40 (+15% AP).

Gangplank – Buffed

🔹 AD Growth: Increased from 3.7 → 4.2.

Hwei – Nerfed

🔻 Passive – Signature of the Visionary: AP ratio reduced from 35% → 30%.
🔻 QW – Severing Bolt: Early damage reduced from 80-160 → 60-160.
🔻 WE – Stirring Lights: Damage reduced from 25-65 (+20% AP) → 20-60 (+15% AP).

Jayce – Buffed

🔹 W – Hyper Charge: Attack speed cap increased from 2.67 → 3.0.

Kalista – Nerfed

🔻 W – Sentinel: Target max health damage reduced from 14-18% → 10-18%.

Kog’Maw – Adjusted

🔻 Q – Caustic Spittle: Damage reduced from 90-290 → 80-260.
🔹 AP Ratio Increased: From 70% → 80%.

Lulu – Nerfed

🔻 W – Whimsy:

• Attack speed bonus reduced from 25-35% → 20-30%.
• Cooldown increased from 15-17s → 16-18s.
  🔻 E – Help, Pix!: Damage and shield reduced from 80-260 → 80-240.

Mel – Adjusted (Less Safety, More Scaling Damage)

🔻 Q – Radiant Volley: Range reduced from 1000 → 950.
🔻 W – Rebuttal: Duration reduced from 1s → 0.75s.
🔹 E – Solar Snare: Direct hit damage increased from 60-220 → 60-240.
🔹 R – Golden Eclipse: Scaling increased from +2.5% AP per stack → +3.5% AP per stack.

Nautilus – Buffed

🔹 Q – Dredge Line: Damage increased from 70-250 → 85-265.

Sion – Buffed

🔹 Base Armor: Increased from 32 → 36.
🔹 Health Regeneration: Increased from 7.5 → 9.

Teemo – Buffed (For Jungle Only)

🔹 E – Toxic Shot: Monster damage increased from 125% → 145%.

Warwick – Nerfed (Top Lane Targeted)

🔻 Q – Jaws of the Beast: Mana cost increased from 70-90 → 80-100.

Yasuo – Buffed

🔹 Passive – Way of the Wanderer: Critical damage reduction removed (now full 200% crit damage).

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Item Balance Changes

🔻 Abyssal Mask: Magic resistance reduced from 50 → 45.
🔻 Fimbulwinter: Shield nerfed by 30%.
🔻 Heartsteel: Max health scaling reduced from 10% → 8%.
🔹 Infinity Edge: Cost reduced from 3600g → 3450g.
🔹 Mercury Treads: Cost reduced from 1300g → 1250g.
🔻 Plated Steelcaps: Auto attack damage reduction reduced from 12% → 10%.
🔹 Symbiotic Soles: Movement speed increased from 35 → 40.
🔻 Unending Despair: Damage now scales only from bonus HP, reducing effectiveness on non-health-stacking tanks.

Bug Fixes & Quality of Life Changes in Patch 25.04

Patch 25.04 also includes several bug fixes addressing champion interactions, visual glitches, and unintended game mechanics. Here’s everything that Riot Games has resolved in this update:

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General Bug Fixes

✅ Fixed an issue where Risen Legend LeBlanc and Immortal Legend Ahri (Signature) had their movement canceled if the ctrl+5 emote was used during displacement effects (e.g., Blast Cones).
✅ Axiom Arcanist now correctly treats Twitch’s R attacks as AoE instead of Single Target (damage amp corrected from 14% to 9%).
✅ Fixed a bug where Rengar’s boots swapped to Spellslinger’s Shoes after completing his hunt Kha’Zix quest.
✅ Kalista’s basic attacks now render correctly.
✅ Fixed a bug where Scuttle Crab was attackable during its spawn animation.
✅ Aurora’s sound effects now play correctly.
✅ Aatrox’s W tether visual now displays correctly.
✅ Kalista’s passive dash now properly benefits from certain boots.

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Champion Ability Fixes

✅ Atakhan’s False Life revive no longer increases some champions’ passive channel time to 15 seconds.
✅ Flash/Hexflash no longer gets disabled if used right before Atakhan’s False Life revive.
✅ Neeko no longer retains the jungle item minion experience debuff after transforming into a champion with a jungle item.
✅ Ziggs’ W now correctly reveals its affected area when used in the Fog of War.
✅ Lucian’s passive now correctly interacts with all plant types.
✅ Mel’s Q cooldown no longer resets when killing enemy champions affected by Twitch’s Deadly Venom applied by Mel’s W.
✅ Renata’s R no longer passes through Yasuo’s Wind Wall (W).
✅ Mel’s ultimate cooldown no longer resets if she reflects Draven’s R with her W.
✅ Mel’s E is now counted as AoE damage instead of Single Target damage.
✅ Ultimate pets like Tibbers and Daisy no longer draw minion aggro to champions.
✅ Teemo’s E poison now correctly applies to critical hits.
✅ Syndra’s W now correctly costs mana.
✅ Elise’s Spiderling stats now update dynamically with her stats instead of only refreshing on spawn.

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Revive & Death Mechanics Fixes

✅ Viego’s Smite damage is now correctly calculated after possessing Mel.
✅ Mel’s auto attacks no longer disable Nidalee’s W.
✅ Ashe’s R special effects now correctly apply at the enemy’s location instead of Ashe’s location.
✅ Urgot can no longer pull enemies into the fountain if the execution occurs while he is respawning via Atakhan’s False Life.
✅ Briar’s R now cancels properly if she dies and revives via Atakhan’s False Life.
✅ Kayn’s R no longer deals damage if he dies mid-ability and revives via Atakhan’s False Life.
✅ Taliyah’s Q now correctly cancels if she dies and revives via Atakhan’s False Life.

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Champion-Specific Fixes

✅ Wukong is no longer globally revealed when using Q on a Blast Cone.
✅ Viego, after possessing Lillia, now has her E properly interact with terrain.
✅ Ambessa’s passive no longer ignores Dodges and Blinds.
✅ Mel’s W now correctly blocks certain critical strikes.
✅ Viktor’s R no longer follows him when taking Rift Herald.
✅ Ahri’s passive no longer interrupts her recall.
✅ Jayce’s Q now properly renders over impassable terrain and structures.
✅ Warwick’s voice lines now play correctly.
✅ Mordekaiser’s torches in the Death Realm now render in the correct locations.
✅ Fiora’s W now correctly blocks some of Mel’s abilities.
✅ Mel’s W no longer incorrectly reflects projectiles from Lulu’s Pix.
✅ Malzahar’s E no longer instantly kills Zyra’s plants.
✅ K’Sante’s Q sound effects are now properly synced with the ability animation.

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Final Thoughts on Patch 25.04

Patch 25.04 wraps up Season 1, Act 1 with systemic item adjustments, champion balance changes, and the Honor system overhaul. Tanks are slightly weaker, ADC builds come online sooner, and major changes to jungle champions shift the meta.

It also delivers a huge list of fixes addressing champion interactions, ability inconsistencies, and revive-related mechanics. These improvements will provide a more stable and consistent gameplay experience for all players.

For more updates, check out LoLNOW.gg for expert League of Legends insights. 🚀

Frequently Asked Questions about League of Legends Patch 25.04