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Nexus Blitz patch notes

Riot·8/28/2018, 7:19:58 PM·5 votes·45,057 views

Patch 8.17 marks the halfway point of the Nexus Blitz alpha, and while it's still too early to tell if the mode will stick around, we're thrilled with the response so far. Today we're talking about common feedback trends and questions, and sharing some changes coming with the next patch.


8.17 Changes

Reminder: We patched in Scuttle Racing (event), Wrath of the Hunter (reward), and a bunch of balance changes during the 8.16 patch. Check your week 1 and week 2 boards threads for details!


Events & Rewards


New Stuff

NEW EVENTS Paranoia Royale, Loot Veigar
NEW REWARD Blessing of Caitlyn

Snowball Fight

PENGU When the Snowball Fight event begins, a penguin buddy will appear next to you. Landing a snowball now grants +2% MS and +5% penguin size and sparkliness. Penguins and the movement speed boost stick around until you lose the event or die after the event ends.
SNOWBALL COOLDOWN 3 seconds ⇒ 8 seconds
SNOWBALL SPEED 1400 ⇒ 1900
SNOWBALL RANGE 2000 ⇒ 1500
SNOWBALL SLOW 30% ⇒ 60%
THROW IT Snowballs now have a 0.25 second cast time and a cast animation
NEON SNOW Enemies hit by snowballs are now revealed for 3 seconds
OOMPH Long-range snowballs feel a bit weightier

Push the Cart

AXLE GREAS Carts that spawn from the 2nd event onward move faster
PROFIT Pushing the cart now grants gold

King of the Hill, Bardle Royale & Juggernaut

REIN IT IN Circle spawn positions have been tuned to less strongly favor the behind team

Sudden Death

NEXUS MINION AD 300 ⇒ 420
TOO BIG Nexus minions can no longer be displaced by most spells
GHOST Nexus minions now ignore unit collision


On-Fire Buff


OUCH Now increases damage taken from turrets
FIERY SPIRIT Now persists through Guardian Angel effects

Map Changes


DINNER Added a scuttle crab nest to the bottom lane
ROADWORK Narrowed the lane around the inhib towers
DEFORESTATION Opened up the areas between raptors and Blue buff
A HOUSE IS A HOME Red buff now has environmental doodads around its pit so it feels more lived-in
BEWARE Increased clarity of jungle turrets
IT WAS ME ALL ALONG Added visuals for fountain turrets so the death laser makes more sense

Champions

Talon

PER-TERRAIN E COOLDOWN 160/135/110/85/60 seconds ⇒ 80/67.5/55/42.5/30 seconds

Items

Sword of the Divine

NEW? Sword of the Divine (last seen patch 4.19) has been added!

Force of Nature

STOP STACKING IT Force of Nature's base health regen is now Unique

Jungle Items

RIVER REGEN Jungle items now give mana regen in the river

REMOVEDBloodletter's Veil

BYEBloodletter's Veil has been removed because mages are already strong enough without getting spell shields for dealing damage. They still have DFG, which is more fun anyway.

Runes

Grasp of the Undying

HEALTH PER PROC 10 (6 for ranged) ⇒ 15 (9 for ranged)

Demolish

COOLDOWN 45 seconds ⇒ 30 seconds

Kleptomancy

LATE GAME DROP ACTIVATION 6 minutes ⇒ 4 minutes
GOLD ON FAILED LOOT 5 ⇒ 10

Presence of Mind

ULT CD REFUND 10% ⇒ 6%

Turrets


ARMOR/MR 50 ⇒ 60
OUTER TURRET HEALTH 3040 ⇒ 3300
INHIB TURRET HEALTH 4240 ⇒ 4300
NEXUS TURRET HEALTH 5440 ⇒ 5400

Death Timers


MAX TIMERS REACHED 20 minutes ⇒ 18 minutes

Bugfixes

  • Fixed a bunch of disappearing circle bugs for events
  • Yasuo can now ult enemies knocked up by allied Catapult of Champions landing impacts
  • Queue select text no longer overlaps in some regions, making it rough to actually select the queue
  • Fixed text positioning issues with Mirrored Scoreboard
  • Added some safety nets to reduce cases where only one Nexus spawns in Sudden Death. It may still happen, though :(

Some Good Questions

Will we get ranked mode, draft pick, or bans if Nexus Blitz becomes permanent?

We set out to build a mode with less pressure than Summoner's Rift, so the plan is to avoid a lot of the metagame features that lead to hypercompetitive feels. These have been pretty common requests, though, so we're looking into what we can accommodate for the future.


Old items are really exciting! Add more!

Okay.


Why did you make janky Summoner's Rift instead of a new map?

Everything you're seeing on the map right now is temporary for the sake of the alpha. If Nexus Blitz becomes permanent, it'll get its very own high-quality map with a unique thematic identity!


Why does Nexus Blitz take so long to load up?

Like other things, this comes down to the alpha nature of Nexus Blitz. We've been focusing on critical needs first, like a functioning queue and an exciting events system that keeps you coming back. That said, we're looking into a few load time trends to see if there are any simple fixes to make things faster.


Wait lol why am I playing against challengers I am silver please help?

We’re using a similar approach to matchmaking that’s been used for rotating game modes in the past, but every mode requires different considerations. While we've managed pretty fast matchmaking (which is huge for this mode), we've also seen some match-ups that are... questionable... particularly for the first few matches you play. It’s definitely not the desired experience, and something we'll be looking at for future prototypes or if NB becomes a permanent mode.


Riot, how am I supposed to do King of the Hill when the circle is in their fountain?

We want each event to be an exciting moment where either team could make an awesome play and win, even when one team has a big lead going into it. The event system currently overcompensates in some cases, though, creating bad scenarios like a circle in the fountain. We're still tuning this part of the feature, including some 8.17 work (see above).


Champ balance seems [good/bad]. [Good/bad] job Rito!

For a less competitive mode, we think Blitz is doing pretty well on the balance front. We want you to be able to pick whichever champ you feel like playing and so far that seems to be the case. One specific observation we're excited about: almost any champion can viably jungle if paired with the right partner.


Are you adding or removing any more events and rewards during alpha?

We've got a few more additions in 8.17! In terms of removing or reworking events and rewards, our plan is to keep everything in since the alpha only runs for two more weeks. We'll then evaluate what worked and what didn't, and make deeper changes (including additions/removals) if we bring Nexus Blitz back.

Thanks for checking out the patch notes! The next event begins in thirty seconds—get in game and let us know what you think of it (and all the other new features).

160 Comments

Viva La Gloria8/28/2018, 8:05:16 PM91 votes

I really hope this mode sticks around.

beatinbuddy8/28/2018, 8:40:04 PM54 votes

Even when matches feel one-sided the speedy queue time and game time tend to make up for it. I can't wait for it to be permanant and have a cool theme (piltover/zaun?) [zombie-nunu-hearts]

Hotarµ8/28/2018, 8:45:33 PM32 votes

Please let this mode be permanent, I don't want another Siege situation where a unique, intuitive, and fun game mode just disappears entirely.

Corrine Corrina8/29/2018, 12:53:39 AM22 votes

cool but what if you gave us back dominion

ReeceWyld8/29/2018, 2:23:57 AM18 votes

Yo Riot, as a player who's abandoned Summoner's rift altogether and strictly played ARAMs, I enjoy the new map.

It better stick around.[darius-angry]

Magapiff8/28/2018, 11:01:36 PM14 votes

Will Ivern get a new passive for Nexus Blitz or have his normal one made to work with the camps? Ivern

Kayana Koe8/29/2018, 12:11:26 AM12 votes

If the mode sticks around, it should be shaped after Bandle City to theme around the random craziness [poppy-wink]

hermeneutist8/28/2018, 11:20:42 PM10 votes

how about make the tutorial more informative? stuff like "first event starts at 5:00" would be super useful for people who wanna actually learn the mode.

also, maybe link a site with full descriptions for all the events and rewards, just so people can check it up and learn to play with them.

V0idLight8/29/2018, 12:48:51 AM10 votes

id like the game mode to stick around, although i do find that blessing of blitzcrank shouldnt be a permanent buff. it would be better as a slightly stronger buff for 90sec-3min. i also dont like how the game is supposed to be fast, but it is simply forced to end with your nexus walking itself into the enemy team after 18 mins. its frustrating if your team is ahead, but you arent as capable of defending something as the enemy team. maybe overall faster gold income would pick the pace up, especially because some people choose to just farm till theyre full build without fighting for 15 mins. i am interested in how the game we all know will be balanced for the new map, and i am extremely excited to see a brand new area! im sad i missed the bilgewater aram and i sometimes play 3v3 just for the spooky feels

wanderingKite8/29/2018, 12:31:40 PM10 votes

This mode is the best thing you've done in a long long time. I'm not disparaging all the previous improvements, because I think they were meaningful, but this is really smart.

I think that Nexus Blitz lets you compete with more casual MOBAs while still retaining the identity of League. You could easily institute a "Quick Match" feature similar to the old Team Builder to make q times eve shorter.

I also feel like this is a good mode to teach people League with because you're always around your teammates, but it still has a lot of SR features unlike ARAM which feels completely different and is a huge cluster*#$% for new players. Blitz allows you to stick near your friends and explain what you should generally be doing (rotating to objectives, when to all in, etc.) without a huge map or them being stuck alone in a losing lane for 10min before you even get to be on the same screen.

I spent a long time away from League because my more casual friends refused to play any mode and I think all the events and stuff like that would help reassure them that it really is a casual mode where you can just have fun. (I would recommend disabling chat :P)

General Glitter8/29/2018, 11:34:55 PM7 votes

This new mode had fucking better come back. The Community NEEDS you to make new stuff, and STOP FUCKING FOCUSING ON PRO PLAYER BALANCE

Talon Gerrard8/28/2018, 11:53:32 PM7 votes

"We want you to be able to pick whichever champ you feel like playing and so far that seems to be the case." Why not do this for URF now since everyone hates not being able to pick their champ. Yeah everyone was complaining before that everyone was picking the same champs and you couldn't ban all the ones that you wanted to ban but now there's a better ban system and again everyone hates not being able to play the champ they actually feel like playing or a champ they want to try out in URF.

Raid Boss Morde8/29/2018, 12:25:20 AM7 votes

Hopefully you guys can fix Morde's bug so we can start using Aery on him again. Aery doesn't let him give shields to allies with his W heal/movement speed boost in this mode. It's been like this since in ARAM when Aery was introduced, and still hasn't been fixed. Riot plz

Lishy8/30/2018, 4:02:58 AM7 votes

Liking the mode so far but the 'Blessing of Caitlyn' Seems a bit over powered honestly, a 500 damage cait ult from like every siege minion/turrets and it lasts permanently? Oof! [slayer-jinx-unamused]

50000000000000008/29/2018, 4:18:00 AM6 votes

Can the center of Bardle Royale be marked on the map? It helps with planning.

50CaliberHecate8/29/2018, 2:57:42 AM6 votes

Um just a bug in case you didn't know, which I reported in the Bugs forum but no one responded. When an ally dies to Praimfaya during Bardle Royale, it sometimes shows an ally slaying another ally. I played as Kai'sa one game and the death notifications said I had slain my ally teammate Mundo.

saxrocker168/28/2018, 11:16:56 PM5 votes

It would be amazing if there was a pick and ban system so we don't see the same three champs every match because they snowball so hard they can carry the rest of the team.

RIP Tahm Kench8/29/2018, 10:40:21 PM5 votes

Could ChoGath get some help with his stacking ability too? Nasus seems to get triple stacks for Q hits, but Cho is still stuck with 1 stack every 80 seconds (after getting ult).

Talon Gerrard8/28/2018, 11:49:51 PM5 votes

With Force of Nature now having it's passive changed to a unique passive I think it would actually make a great item to bring back into the game. It gives tanks a good mr item to combo with Spirit Visage especially in cases where they have a strong ap carry like Leblanc or Fizz so they don't get blown up and lose 3/4's of their hp in half a second. And it would be beneficial for them in long team fights so they can regen health to support their team in the front line.

rabidworm8/28/2018, 7:41:30 PM5 votes

Is that sword of the divine "okay" an advanced Bill Wurtz reference?

TheKingYordle8/30/2018, 5:33:14 PM4 votes

This mode is honestly the best thing you guys have done in a long time, probably since making aram an actual game mode, keep it up!

RedstoneRailroad8/30/2018, 5:36:16 PM4 votes

It would be cool if Nexus Blitz became a permanent mode with all of it's own unique models. Riot could host a community creation event for models like a new Red Bambleback or even map ideas. In all honesty, I kinda hope the map ends up having almost a medieval touch to it. Could be like half of the map is Demacian theme, other is Noxian, and middle is the battle ground. Could also be a giant cave system with torches and various bits to make it look lived in. Heck, Riot could even do it to make it look like it's on one of the ledges of Mnt. Targon.

WindowsXPerror8/29/2018, 6:24:28 PM4 votes

I hope this sticks, summoners rift isn't fun for me and i'm getting sick of playing just ARAM

PaffWasTaken8/29/2018, 10:50:53 PM4 votes

Still no Will of the Ancients?

TheeBull8/30/2018, 6:08:43 AM4 votes

I think this game mode is well done. This is a great bridge between ARAM players that love high-action, pure mechanical contest, and SR players that enjoy the nuance of laning and macro. This is a worth while investment of resources that can really pull together two existing communities in League. Keep it going Riot!summoner 13

FantaWriter9/1/2018, 12:25:31 AM3 votes

The Caitlyn blessing is a dumb thing. There are times were I go up to clear the wave with supers in it, and I get targeted by two supers and two canons, and more that stack up, one shoting me. minions one shotting are team. This game is suppose to be for fun, but it is not fun when the enemy can't even kill you them selves.

ITS CHOWMEIN8/29/2018, 2:16:45 AM3 votes

Innervating locket???????? Hello Riot you guys gonna forfill what yall said on twitter

SirsithUnbound8/29/2018, 9:26:45 AM3 votes

again I can not wait for the ban system is put in so tired of stupid plays so tired of assassins

EvilUnicornLord8/29/2018, 5:35:39 PM3 votes

As much as I love Nexus Blitz, can you guys buff/remove Mega Ocean Drake Buff?

It's extremely unimpactful and is essentially just a weaker item 3083 or Garen passive. It pales in comparison to the Guardian Angel or shield buff and makes for a dissapointing event victory. By the time you're done sitting out of combat and regenerating from low health, you could have returned to base with the shorter recall and walked back with the shorter lanes.

SurrealJC8/29/2018, 11:30:18 PM3 votes

I didn't like it at first because of how random and extreme it is. It starts to make sense after you play it about 4 times. Still feels like a stomp every game. I think we had 2 comebacks out of 20 games. And seems to heavily favour assassins and no one seems to want to play jungle. I played fill in all 20 games and only got lane 1 time, and then someone left so I didn't even get to play lane ever.

oqTuTpo8/30/2018, 1:47:53 AM3 votes

Blessing of Caitlyn is too imbalance and it hugely damage the experience of the side which does not got it.

yumyumfarted8/30/2018, 7:29:17 PM3 votes

On sudden death they should have the nexuses literally come out of the ground and when they get destroyed, instead of panning all the way to the opposite side of the map, the nexus should just explode right where it does and say victory/defeat

MiNiX8/31/2018, 4:44:37 AM3 votes

I actually really enjoy the map layout. I would like to try playing it without any of the random events. I think with the randomness removed, a unique meta could be established and this could even become a competitive mode with very short games.

EnderTech218/31/2018, 11:52:05 PM3 votes

With one inhibiter I feel like both turrets have to be destroyed so the inhib and inhib turret can be targeted, or somehow add one more inhib. Thats my opinion though.item 3520

Juké8/29/2018, 4:18:49 PM1 votes

Why is this mode so fun? The battle royal reminds me of pubg, but in a good way, the loot teemo is interesting, scuttle races are broken if you are singed, the only thing I don't like about this game mode is when the nexus gets up and fights, but I don't know what could replace it so I'll deal with it.