As one of League of Legends' oldest champions, Olaf is finally getting a rework! This previously revealed "mid-scope update" will soon come to fruition, launching in LoL 12.9.
The Berserker will be receiving a significant shift in his kit, bringing on a more tanky role but losing some damage in return.
Here's what we know about the Olaf rework so far.
LATEST: LoL 12.9 COUNTDOWN
League of Legends patch 12.9 will be a significant update for the game, dropping during MSI 2022 (though the tournament will remain on patch 12.8).
This patch will feature the Olaf rework along with another mid-scope update for Taliyah, new updates to the Challenges system, and plenty more buffs and nerfs along the way.
We're now less than 24 hours out from LoL 12.9, which goes live on Wednesday, May 11th, so be ready to see plenty of Olaf in your upcoming games!
Olaf rework to arrive in LoL 12.9
As a champion, Olaf has always sat in a weird spot in the meta. He's either extremely dominant, reaching your team's backlines with ease or he's cannon fodder that is used to get the enemy team fed.
When Olaf's good, he's borderline suffocating. When he's bad, Olaf doesn't amount to much.
This is why, alongside other reworks on the way in League of Legends Season 12, Olaf's getting his own.
So what will the new Olaf look like after League of Legends patch 12.9?
Olaf rework means a more defined tank role
Like many of the past and future champion changes Riot has been working on, Olaf's rework doesn't necessarily look at his performances across the game. Instead, it aims to give him more playability across the board while also adding "significant excitement to his kit," according to developer Riot Axes on Reddit.
“He is the least deeply played champion in League — on average, that is,” explained Riot Axes. “If Olaf is a champion you play, he probably makes up the lowest percent of your games played, and has consistently been among the lowest for many years now.”
This would put him at a more juggernaut playstyle akin to Darius, as it focuses on making the champion more like a tank and less of a power farming, backline diving machine.
It all starts with his Q, Undertow, which now will be easier to kite for opposing players and will have a longer minimum range. However, it will also now shred armor on hit.
Following that up will be his W, Vicious Strikes, that instead of giving him life steal and buffing his attack speed, will now give Olaf a shield.
Lastly, his ultimate, Ragnarok, will be taking a turn as it can be activated indefinitely as long as Olaf can continue attacking an enemy. Hitting an enemy will extend its duration to 2.5 seconds. This means that for as long as his ultimate is active, his passive resistances will also there, making him a tank monster.
READ MORE: LoL 12.8 Skins: New Solar and Lunar Eclipse skins revealed
Olaf Rework Changes
Here's what the numbers are looking like for Olaf's rework in the LoL 12.9 patch notes so far.
Base Stats
- Attack Damage: 68 (+3.5/level), 127.5 at level 18 ⇒ 68 (+4.7/level), 148 at level 18
- Health: 575 (+100/level), 2275 at level 18 ⇒ 575 (+105/level), 2360 at level 18
- Mana: 316 (+42/level), 1030 at level 18 ⇒ 316 (+60/level), 1336 at level 18
Passive - Berserker Rage
- Calculation reworked to grant max effectiveness at or below 30% health
- Maximum Attack Speed: 99% ⇒ 40-100% (levels 1-18)
- NEW: Now gives up to 12-35% life steal (levels 1-18), based on Olaf's missing health
Q - Undertow
- NEW: Shreds 25/27.5/30/32.5/35% armor for 4 seconds on champion hit
- Damage: 80/125/170/215/260 ⇒ 60/110/160/210/260
- Minimum Range: Approximately 300 ⇒ 425
- Mana Cost: 60 at all ranks ⇒40/45/50/55/60
- Cooldown: 7 seconds ⇒ 8 seconds
- Cooldown refund on pickup: 4.5 seconds ⇒ 5 seconds
W - Vicious Strikes [REWORKED]
(ability may be renamed)
- NEW: Resets Olaf’s basic attack
- NEW: Olaf gains 70/115/160/205/250 (+25% of Olaf’s missing health) as a shield for 2.5 seconds
- REMOVED: No longer grants Life Steal
- REMOVED: No longer amplifies Olaf’s healing based on missing health
- Attack Speed: 50/60/70/80/90% for 6 seconds ⇒ 40/50/60/70/80% for 4 seconds
- Cooldown: 16 seconds at all ranks ⇒ 16/14.5/13/11.5/10 seconds
R - Ragnarok
- NEW: Hitting a champion with a basic attack or E - Reckless Swing extends the duration of Ragnarok to 2.5 seconds. Olaf can refresh Ragnarok indefinitely
- Duration: 6 seconds ⇒ 3 seconds
- REMOVED R: Ragnarok's passive's bonus resistances are no longer lost for the duration of the cast