The 2025 League of Legends World Championship is only 9 days away from starting. This year’s tournament will use patch 25.20, with champion balance changes already finalized. However, the patch update will come around the 10th. Riot has been exploring various ways to enhance the viewing experience for fans. Recently, a designer shared good news: patch 25.20 will increase the penalty time for top lane swaps.

Riot’s designer posted: To improve the spectator experience during lane swaps and to balance teams that qualify for Worlds by relying on swap strategies, Riot has decided to extend the penalty time for top lane swaps to 4 minutes. This is 30 seconds longer than during the Rift Rivals (and 1 minute 30 seconds more than the current patch). The designer added: everyone wants to see top-tier top lane 1v1s, not top-tier AD carries bullying top laners with range advantage.

Looking at the time alone, 30 seconds might seem insignificant, but compared to the current patch, the actual time needed for lane swaps in matches is much longer. Currently, as soon as the cannon wave arrives, top and bottom lanes can swap. With the extra 30 seconds, teams must push an additional wave on their lanes before swapping; otherwise, they will lose minions. The swap time will effectively increase by at least a minute or more.

This lane swap adjustment does not eliminate the tactic entirely; it will still exist. However, it significantly impacts teams that heavily rely on swapping. Among our region’s four teams, AL depends on swaps the most. Hope consistently initiates early swaps, letting SaintVicious handle the pressure. With the penalty time increased, AL’s strategy becomes less comfortable, and their bottom lane could be overwhelmed by top-tier duos.

For BLG, a team strong in both top and bottom lane matchups, this adjustment is a big boost. BLG is not good at swapping lanes, so the longer penalty time greatly increases their chances of gaining advantages through solo lanes. Coupled with buffs to Camille and other fighter champions, it seems Bin has a great opportunity to dominate this Worlds, as this patch suits him perfectly.

As for T1, the impact isn’t as severe as for AL. Their bottom duo is strong in lane, and 369 is skilled at holding under pressure. Even without swapping, the risk of problems is low. IG’s situation is uncertain and depends on their form during the event. TheShy has been caught out many times recently; even in solo 1v1s, enemy junglers frequently intervene. Gazi’s laning has always been a weakness as well.

Among the four LCK teams, GEN and HLE are considered strengthened. Both have strong solo lanes that can gain advantages with or without swaps. Zeus should have a chance to showcase his individual skill this year. KT is somewhat weakened; they rely mainly on mid and jungle, with less presence in top and bottom lanes. With average laning abilities, they depend heavily on swaps and aim to win through mid-game teamfights.

Regarding T1, it depends on how well Xiaolübu performs. If he plays like in the playoffs, IG might have a chance to win. However, Keria has been experimenting heavily in ranked games, bringing out champions like Qiyana and Vi as supports. If these picks are viable in competition, they could limit IG’s champion pool. Still, I think IG’s chances hinge on mid-jungle matchups; if Rookie can’t perform, beating T1 will be difficult.

Conclusion:

Teams with strong solo lanes have a high power level this patch. Top lane fighters receive significant buffs, and tanks like Sion, Ornn, and Qiyana will see play, with Gragas as a secondary option. Under the global ban-and-pick system, fighter champions will appear frequently, increasing top lane’s impact compared to before. It feels like the eventual champion will need a very strong top laner.

What are your thoughts on the increased lane swap penalty time?

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