Patch 2.1.90: What to Play
The TL;DR
A mid-season correction to 2.1.88: Tank Junglers lose clear speed, while underpicked EXP and Jungle heroes get picked back up.
What to play this patch
Tank Junglers are no longer the default. Baxia, Fredrinn and Akai still work but no longer out-clear everything, so damage junglers — Nolan, Aulus, Argus — are back on the table. Camp gold is up, so first-clear tempo still matters.
The meta shift
2.1.88 reworked the jungle and Tank Junglers ran away with it — Baxia, Fredrinn and Akai were clearing faster than the heroes the jungle was rebalanced for. This patch pulls their clear speed and durability back down and buffs seven under-performers instead of re-touching the camps. Camp gold goes up across the board, so the jungle is still worth more than it was before 2.1.88 — it just no longer belongs exclusively to tanks.
↑ Buffed this patch (7)
Stronger early-to-mid game, so she reaches her shield-stacking spike sooner.
Improved sustainability — he survives longer between rotations.
Better sustain and staying power on a target, traded against slightly lower mid-to-late damage.
Designer note: A shift in profile rather than a straight buff: Aulus should win by staying on you, not by bursting you down.
Lower ultimate cooldown early-to-mid, and more late-game damage.
Improved early-to-mid combat and laning — a follow-up to his 2.1.88 rework.
Reduced mana cost, easing her early-game mana problems.
Reduced mana cost and a faster Skill 1 cooldown.
↓ Nerfed this patch (4)
Damage output and jungling speed reduced.
Designer note: The clearest beneficiary of the 2.1.88 jungle rework, and the main target of this correction.
Slower jungle clear and less early-game durability.
Jungling speed reduced, with burst damage raised as partial compensation.
Designer note: Akai keeps his teamfight identity — only the jungle-speed advantage is removed.
Skill 2 cast range slightly reduced.
Game mode changes
Jungle camp gold increased, keeping the jungle rewarding after the Tank Jungler nerfs.
- •Thunder Fenrir and Molten Fiend: +20% base gold
- •Horned Lizard, Fire Beetle and Lava Golem: +15% base gold