Nasus, the perennial go-to scaling top-laner in League of Legends, is being handed quite the healthy boost in Patch 14.7, with the Riot Games developers hoping changes to his damage and life steal help again sell the fantasy of the lategame monster he used to be.
The Curator of the Sands will have his Siphoning Strike and his Soul Eater life steal passive boosted by the League update, as confirmed by lead gameplay designer Matt “Phroxzon” Leung-Harrison in today’s detailed patch preview on X (formerly Twitter). Phroxzon explained that while Nasus is one of the easiest League champs to master, he’s still too weak to keep up with all the bruisers currently holding the top lane with an iron grip.
Siphoning Strike will be getting a damage boost for his Q at all levels with 14.7, while his life steal passive has been increased across the game, skewing better as the mid and lategame arrives. Nasus will have a whopping 24 percent life steal at level 13—a 15 percent boost compared to the current 21 percent benefit. “These buffs are focused on enabling the lategame drain tank fantasy and opening up the Q last hitting thresholds a bit more,” Phroxzon said.
Nasus sits around the middle of the pack in terms of popularity in League Patch 14.6, according to stats tracking site U.GG, but his win rate recently slipped below parity, to 49.93 percent. While it’s not all alarm bells for Nasus just yet, he simply isn’t keeping up with your Maokai’s, Zac’s, or Trundle’s that wreak havoc today. This is the second boost to his lifesteal bonus in nine months with Patch 13.12 also giving the Curator a 15 percent boost.
June’s 13.12 update was also the last time the champ received any update, which may be why his dwindling win rate needed addressing. Again, there are top laners in worse spots but as games have skewed longer, Riot feels Nasus just isn’t scaling well enough.
Perhaps next week’s update will now be enough to get him back in Summoners’ hands.
