Lane swaps and champ priority in Worlds 2025 on LoL patch 25.20

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League of Legends update 25.20, which is tied to the 2025 World Championship, includes adjustments to how players switch lanes and some minor changes to champions.

The League of Legends World Championship 2025 is almost here, and we now know which game patch the pros will be playing on. We’re breaking down how the recent buffs and nerfs in patch 25.20 will likely impact the players competing for the title at Worlds. The patch also includes a new approach to lane swapping, and we’re looking at whether it will actually change how teams play.

Lane swap changes in LoL patch 25.20

We’ve changed when lane swaps are detected in the top lane. It now happens at 4:00 in the game instead of 3:00. This makes it a little harder to intentionally create a 2-on-1 lane and pushes back the timing for trying to quickly grab Voidgrubs. However, it won’t completely stop lane swaps from happening.

We may see teams make creative calls to get around this new restriction.

Champions most affected by the Worlds 2025 patch

Azir

Azir has been updated in this patch to be less powerful early in the game, but stronger as the game goes on. This change might make some lane matchups more difficult for Azir, but his ability to perform well in team fights and his overall threat level should remain largely the same.

Azir is a very popular champion for professional League of Legends mid-laners (and sometimes even support players like Busio). At this year’s MSI tournament, he appeared in almost every game – specifically, he was either chosen by a player or blocked from being chosen in 18 out of 19 series.

Interestingly, he wasn’t chosen or restricted during the 2024 World Championship. However, that’s likely to change this time around – players will probably be using him quite a bit.

Orianna

Orianna’s early game was also made a little weaker. Her W ability now scales better with Ability Power, encouraging players to build more AP items on her.

This change won’t likely impact her ability to compete at the 2025 World Championship. It’s not significant enough to alter how players approach lane assignments, and professional players are skilled at adapting to minor challenges like this.

Pantheon

We’re making a small improvement to Pantheon as a jungler, which is currently the only role he’s played in professional matches. While he isn’t typically a top-priority pick, he can be a solid choice when needed, particularly with the Fearless Draft system.

This adjustment could make Pantheon a more frequently banned champion, and Lee “Tarzan” Seung-yong’s opponents might be more worried when he selects him. The recent weakening of Wukong also contributes to this shift in priority.

Wukong

Wukong is undergoing changes similar to Pantheon. While Pantheon is receiving a small boost in combat strength, Wukong is being slightly weakened. Although his E ability is getting a small damage increase, it doesn’t make up for the reduction in power of his Q ability as he levels up.

Other changes in League of Legends 25.20, the Worlds patch

Briar, Katarina, Malphite, Veigar, Volibear, and Warwick all had minor updates to their abilities, but these changes aren’t expected to significantly impact how often they appear in professional matches, as they’re rarely played already.

Anivia, Camille, Fizz, and Graves all had some improvements, but these changes probably won’t significantly impact how often they’re played in the current game.

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2025-10-10 20:12