As we know, in the 2022 season, the changes to the Teleport spell are among the biggest changes that will likely affect the gameplay of League of Legends. Specifically, the new Teleport will not allow players to teleport to wards or minions until after the 14th minute. So, how will this change impact the gameplay of League of Legends?
Top Lane
Top laners now face two issues that need to be addressed. First is managing the minion waves. Previously, top laners would apply pressure by pushing the minion wave, recalling to buy items and heal/mana, then teleporting back to the last surviving minion to maintain the push. When minion waves are continuously pushed to the tower, it not only disadvantages the opponent’s minion count but also creates opportunities for “dive” plays when other lanes come to gank. This, combined with the strength of top lane champions (Irelia, Camille…) and specific items, has created a top lane playstyle that has persisted through many seasons of League of Legends.
With the new Teleport, top laners will find it harder to manage minion waves as they wish. However, for those who are behind in lane, this will limit the minion waves from pushing too aggressively and provide players with a safe retreat space when necessary. Even when waves push close to the tower, there is less fear of being “collapsed” during the laning phase since no one can teleport directly to minions or wards anymore.
The second point is that many believe this will disconnect the top lane from other lanes, but in reality, the two-lane push strategy always requires players to pressure their opponents while keeping their own lane safe. Therefore, winning or losing top lane now will require players to rely much more on their skills, at least until the 15th minute of the game.
Mid Lane
This position will be the least affected by the new Teleport among the three lanes. In fact, the distance from the fountain to the mid lane tower is much shorter than that to the top lane. Moreover, mid lane players often tend to teleport directly to the tower, which is both safe and ensures minion waves. In cases of ganks, mid laners typically move normally, or with champions like Twisted Fate or Ryze, they will use their abilities, which will not be affected by the new Teleport.
In some recent metas, mid laners often have to hold minion waves, farm, and keep the enemy in check. Thus, the new Teleport fundamentally does not make mid laners stronger or weaker at all.
Bot Lane
This is the lane that benefits the most from the changes to the new Teleport. Specifically, previously, ADCs and Supports had to worry about being caught in a “sandwich” situation when junglers ganked and placed wards in the bushes near the Krugs. Or in other cases, they would push too deep and have enemy vision in the river or small spaces on either side of the lane. With this new change, ADCs will no longer push high and then unexpectedly run into opponents playing a “family game” nearby.
Moreover, this will also help the ADC-centric playstyle to potentially make a strong comeback compared to recent times. As we know, even though there are still ADCs like the “200-year” champions such as Aphelios or hot picks like Jhin, most teams still play towards the top side. This not only reduces pressure on the ADC but also allows these positions to farm. However, since other lanes can no longer flank the bot lane right from the early game, ADC players can feel more secure. Champions that can dominate lanes or have quick wave-clearing skills like Draven and Caitlyn will become even stronger.
Another reason is that the “collapse” situations during the laning phase in the past have caused matches to progress faster than expected. Many teams even considered themselves defeated before the clock hit the 15-minute mark. Riot does not want this, and the Teleport change is one of the factors that will help prolong matches further.