LoL Patch 14.15: Major Arena Changes Being Made

Riot is going to be making some key changes to Arena in LoL Patch 14.15. These changes will finally improve the state of Koi Pond, a hated map.

Soul Fighter Pyke
LoL Patch 14.15: Riot is making big changes. | © Riot Games

Riot is planning something big for LoL Patch 14.15, making some key changes to the different Arena maps to diversify the gameplay and to keep players on the edge of their seat. One of the biggest pain points has been the Koi Pond map, which is seeing some changes.

So, let's check out everything Riot has planned for LoL Patch 14.15 and how the balance team is looking to improve Koi Pond.

LoL Patch 14.15: Major Arena Map Changes Planned

Balance changes are a key aspect of a game like Arena. It's meant to keep things fresh and unique every single time you log in. With Riot testing out Arena's longer run, keeping it around for a solid 4 months, there are some major changes that the modes team has to do.

When the third installment of Arena was introduced, players were not quite happy with some of the maps and designs, but Riot have put off on any big changes, wanting players to get used to the new designs and maps before making rash adjustments.

Now, halfway through this Arena run, some major changes have been announced. Riot is going to be making hueg changes to Koi Pond which has been a universally hated map for a while.

We still think Koi Pond has value as a map that rewards good macro position and risk being isolated, but with this set of changes we're looking to reduce the amount of times you feel isolated or trapped on a single island. We believe this change list is a good first step that will help make the map less frustrating, and wanted to get it out to all of you ASAP.

Lillypad

  • Close Time: 5.4s >>> 10.8s
  • Respawn Time: 6.6s >>> 3.2s

Blastcones

  • Bug Fix: Fixed a bug where the Chemtech Blastcones would behave like a normal Blastcone after being used once
  • Moved the Blastcone on the North Island slightly close to the center
  • Blastcone cooldown: 5>>> 10s
  • Removed the Blastcone on the South East Island

Hexgates

  • Hexgate Cooldown: 12s >>> 8s (Koi Pond Only)
LoL Arena
Are you ready for these changes? | © Riot Games

Brush

  • More Brush has been added to each island

Player Spawn Locations

  • Players can no longer spawn on the South East Island

Ring of Fire

  • Initial Size increased by 16% (Koi Pond only)
  • Making it so you have more time before the initial ring starts to shrink and are able to respond
  • The Ring can now close on any island but it is much more likely to close on the South East Island

Movement

  • Clicking on an island when the Lillypad is closed will no longer cause your champion to stand still and instead will move you to the closest point on the edge of your island

Riot Phroxzon also explained that there were some more adjustments the team has tried out, but these worked best so far, which is why they're going to be added to the live servers. It'll be intersting to see whether these changes improve the state of Koi Pond for players.

Sabrina Ahn

Sabrina Ahn is the League of Legends and Riftfeed Lead. During her time at Concordia University in 2014 she fell in love with LoL and is playing it since – how she hasn't lost her sanity is still unclear....