LoL Patch 14.5 Meta Analysis: How the Changes Affect Competitive Betting
By Sarah Kim
Published:
Patch 14.5: Competitive Meta Breakdown
Riot’s Patch 14.5 landed two weeks ago, and the professional scene has had time to adapt. Here’s what’s changed, what hasn’t, and how it affects your betting approach.
Jungle Changes: Early Pathing Rewarded
The most significant change to the jungle is the reduction in camp respawn timers. Red and Blue buffs now reset 10 seconds faster, incentivising full clears over counter-jungling. This benefits:
- Tank junglers (Sejuani, Maokai, Zac) — their clear speed on the new timers is proportionally better
- Teams with strong early objective control — faster clears mean more dragon and rift herald contests
Betting implication: Teams known for objective control — T1, JDG, G2 — get a subtle boost. Counter-jungle specialists like NRG become slightly less effective.
Support Itemisation: Shurelya’s Nerfed
Shurelya’s Battlesong had its active cooldown increased from 60 to 90 seconds, reducing the effectiveness of engage supports who relied on it for consistent catch potential. This buffs:
- Enchanters (Lulu, Karma, Nami)
- ADC-favoured team compositions
Betting implication: The LCK and LEC bot lanes that thrive in ADC-forward metas — teams with mechanical ADC stars — become more valuable.
Mid-Lane: Azir Re-Enters Priority
Azir’s Q damage was restored to pre-nerf levels (2024 nerf reversed). In the two weeks since the patch, Azir has appeared in 34% of professional games — up from 8% on the prior patch.
Faker’s Azir has historically been at a different level to any other mid-laner’s. Watch T1’s picks closely — if Azir is open, expect T1 to take it.
What to Watch This Week
- LCK: Monitor whether Gen.G adapt their engagement-heavy style to the Shurelya’s nerf
- LEC: G2 have historically been the fastest patch adapters in Europe — expect them to exploit Azir priority
- LPL: JDG have the most flexible draft pool and stand to benefit from objective control meta shifts