February 18, 2025
Come closer, and warm yourself by the fire. The winds of change are sweeping through Westeros, and with them, new battles to fight, new strategies to master, and a reforging of some of the very rules that govern our world.
Greetings House Leaders,
As we’ve spoken of before, our journey to fix, balance, and improve champions has been a long and thoughtful process, and in this latest release, much of that work is finally coming to fruition. We’ve addressed long-standing issues, implemented key tuning, and incorporated valuable feedback to ensure every Champion feels purposeful, engaging, and rewarding to play.
This is just the beginning - we have more to come in the following months, but we’re particularly excited about the strides we’ve made in reshaping how Champions fulfill their roles and bringing more satisfying gameplay to the realm.
Be sure to read through our patch notes for all the details of these changes!
We know that progressing with Champions, testing new teams, and adapting to balance changes can feel slow and challenging. Changing strategies or shifting team compositions is not always easy, and we recognize that adjusting to tuning updates can feel difficult.
Rest assured, we are working on improvements to ease this burden. Like our approach to Champion tuning, changes will happen in phases, but our goal remains clear: to make Game of Thrones: Legends the best experience it can be for our players.
To celebrate these exciting updates, we’re sending all players a selection of free shards and resources to help highlight some of the champions who have undergone major improvements, or just get you started towards trying something new. Be on the look out for an inbox reward in the coming days - a stronger roster awaits!
Today, we’re going to release the following changes to a geo-locked location, in order to validate balance and performance. Once we’ve achieved that validation, we’ll be rolling the changes out to the rest of the world over the course of the next week. Keep a lookout for the update in the App and Play Stores!
Game System Changes: The Foundation of Battle
Even the strongest warriors must stand on a solid foundation, and so we have made key changes to the fundamental mechanics of battle.
Damage Scaling Fixed
We discovered that the ATK/DEF ratio was comparing ability scaling instead of the actual ATK stat of a Champion. That’s like a knight measuring his sword’s hilt instead of its blade! This is now fixed so that damage calculations reflect a Champion’s actual strength.
Our damage calculation happens in 3 steps:
Base Damage: A Champion uses their stats (ATK in most cases) and ratio (the damage percentage found in abilities) to determine the base damage. I.e. - A Champion with 500 ATK and a 200% ratio in their ability will deal 1,000 damage as the base.
Damage Reduction: A defending champion’s DEF stat is used to determine how much of that base damage gets through by comparing with the attacker’s stats. The comparison is a ratio of ATK / DEF.
Resistances & Modifiers: Resistances (Physical Res, Fire Res, etc.) and modifiers (BRITTLE, BIRTHRIGHT, etc.) are used to adjust the final damage.
Now that you know how the system works, you’ll see how the two adjustments we’ve made affect gameplay.
Adjustment 1: Consistent Ratio
Damage Reduction now ALWAYS compares ATK and DEF, regardless of what the damage scales by. This will make damage more consistent overall. A Champion’s damage may scale by HP or stamina, but during step 2, we’ll always compare ATK and DEF.
This does mean that a few champions that use non-ATK scaling in their damage output may feel stronger or weaker, but we will be monitoring and adjusting them to account for this change, and ensure they are doing the damage they should be.
Adjustment 2: Resistance Caps Implemented
To make certain that resistances don’t get out of control, we’ve introduced minimum and maximum values. Champions will not be able to reach Physical Damage immunity with 100% resistance, nor will they be able to heal by exceeding 100%. With the minimum, Champions are prevented from reaching 0% resistance, which would cause them to take infinite damage. No Champion should be untouchable, and now, even the mightiest defenses have their limits.
RENEW is No Longer a Joke
Previously, RENEW healed for 0.05% HP - yes, you read that right, not 5%, but 5% of 1%. That’s about as useful as a maester without his books. We’ve fixed this by changing it to 1%. You can now rely on RENEW as an actual healing mechanic.
Gem Ability Fixes
Abilities that should affect enemies damaged by Gems will now correctly apply their effects - meaning more consistent and strategic puzzle play. When SCOUTED comes into play, gem effects will ride along with the redirected gem damage.
You Can Now Run a Team of 3 Jon Snows
It’s about time, isn’t it? We’ve removed the restriction; meaning you can now have multiple versions of the same character on your team. If you want to run an army of Jon Snows, go for it. Just don’t expect them to be very chatty. This also applies to other Champions who have multiple versions in the game, such as Arya Stark, Alicent Hightower, Criston Cole, and Daenerys Targaryen.
A New Era for ICE and BRITTLE
For those who have long called the North home, you know that the cold bite of ICE and the cruel weight of BRITTLE have shaped battles for many seasons. But, we’ve taken a hard look at these mechanics, and though they have served the Starks well, it was time to reforge the cold steel. BRITTLE has dominated the meta, turning nearly any Champion into a high-damage threat with little effort. While we love its role as a damage amplifier, the ease of applying BRITTLE overshadowed other play styles, particularly those focused on gem-based damage. With these changes, BRITTLE remains just as powerful, but now requires a more strategic approach for maximum damage impact.
What’s Changing?
BRITTLE can no longer be removed – When an enemy reaches their breaking point, no amount of mystic forces or healing will mend them. The only way to remove BRITTLE now… is the cold embrace of death.
BRITTLE now scales with ICE – Each stack of ICE makes BRITTLE even deadlier, meaning the icy chill of the North is more dangerous than ever.
ICE has been rebalanced – We’re shifting its power into BRITTLE’s bonus damage, making ICE less oppressive on its own while reinforcing its true role as a setup mechanic for devastating blows.
BRITTLE no longer affects non-damaging effects – Healing, revives, and stamina gain will no longer be hindered by BRITTLE.
Gem damage will no longer increase when a Champion becomes BRITTLE; you will need to use abilities to maximize the damage of BRITTLE.
These changes keep the spirit of ICE and BRITTLE alive but refine them into something even sharper. The power of BRITTLE is now in the hands of the Starks and their abilities. The North remembers… and now, so will your enemies.
Previously, BRITTLE worked like a toggle switch: Apply 5 ICE to cause BRITTLE, enabling a 300% increase in damage. When reduced to 4 ICE… no more bonus damage. Now, BRITTLE’s damage amplification is tied to the amount of ICE on the champion.
You’ll still need 5 ICE to get an enemy to BRITTLE. But now, the difference between 200% and 300% bonus damage lies in the amount of ICE that the enemy has. A Champion with no ICE who is BRITTLE will take 200% bonus damage from Champion abilities. A Champion with 4 ICE who is BRITTLE will take 280% bonus damage.
These adjustments will ease frustration on both the attacker and defender sides of this play style.
As an attacker, once you get enemies to BRITTLE, they cannot completely disrupt bonus damage by simply removing 1 ICE.
As a defender, there is still some counterplay: you can reduce BRITTLE bonus damage by removing ICE without the risk of triggering the Starks’ on-BRITTLE effects again.
Along with the changes to ICE and BRITTLE come changes to the Champions that use these keywords. Our aim for these champions was two-fold:
Increase the power of the Stark champions to compensate for the loss of gem and effect damage to BRITTLE enemies.
The experience of the ICE team play style should be more consistent. Getting your enemies to BRITTLE shouldn’t have so much variability.
This makes BRITTLE less abusable and more strategic, but still just as powerful. The downside for Starks players - you won’t be able to rely on swaths of gems to do your BRITTLE damage, and you’ll need to use your buffed up Stark champion’s abilities (see below). A plus for the Baratheons - they can now have their day in the sun with their gem-focused play style.
We’ve made some changes to the following Stark Champions. Overall, we’ve increased odds for ICE application, but reduced amounts of ICE, and buffed up most abilities where we could.
Ned Stark - The Warden of the North is a true frontline tank; Ned’s healing scales with Max HP, and his leader ability guarantees ICE with every activation.
Jon Snow (Bastard of Winterfell) - Jon now builds power with NORTHERN GIFT stacks and unleashes even more devastating BRITTLE damage to benefit House Stark most of all.
Jon Snow (Battle of the Bastards) - Decreased skill damage so that this revenge takedown finisher with a new Stamina boost can now find synergy alongside his past selves.
Jon Snow (King in the North) - The King in the North’s ICE application is more consistent and strategic with a revamped skill and passive, and stronger leader ability, fueling his Stamina and ensuring he spreads frozen devastation across the battlefield.
Arya Stark (The Lost Stark) - A girl now controls her own fate - more skill bonus damage, and her passive triggers from her own ICE, making her more self-sufficient and deadlier than ever.
Arya Stark (Winterfell Returned) - Increased skill damage and bonus damage, and her Faceless Gems and ARYA’S LIST mark are more reliable, ensuring her enemies never escape her vengeance.
Catelyn Stark - The Stark’s matriarch now heals more, and more effectively with RENEW and a stronger DEF buff, and leads with greater resilience, keeping her allies standing longer.
Sansa Stark - Sansa now prevents BLEED instead of removing it, granting Tenacity and healing allies with RENEW when enemies become BRITTLE.
Ghost - Increased skill damage and bonus damage. Every strike is a choice - Ghost now heals when attacking the strongest foe or gains stealth when finishing off enemies.
Jory Cassel - The Captain of the Guard’s skill is now AoE. He carves out his niche as a reliable ICE applier and Stamina support, helping Stark teams remain strong and steady.
Lord of Bones - More consistent ICE, stronger debuffs, and a new healing effect make him a true terror to face.
Ravenous Bone Collector - Less ICE, but more reliability - now with a stronger ATK debuff and increased skill damage, making him a greater menace.
Northern Brawler - With fewer but stronger strikes and a new BRITTLE-based DEF reduction, this warrior of the North is now a real enforcer.
Woodland Archer - Her arrows now strike harder, apply ICE more consistently, and drain enemy Stamina when in stealth, making her a better disruptor.
Greyjoy/Triarchy Combos and the fury of RAID
A true raider does not strike alone - victory belongs to those who attack in waves.
House Greyjoy wasn’t quite living up to their ruthless reputation, so we’ve moved away from a play style of high-risk, high reward. The pace of battle is too fast for a team that benefits from getting low on health to succeed.
What’s Changing?
We’ve made RAID more impactful as a keyword shared by many Greyjoys and Triarchy raiders alike.
RAID now better supports the combo play style – Instead of feeling like an afterthought, RAID now flows with the tide of battle. Its shorter duration will emphasize this.
RAID heals substantially more when enemies are defeated, and increases your team’s damage by reducing the enemy’s Physical Resistance, instead of reducing Tenacity.
RAID has more power in general team compositions – You don’t need to be a Greyjoy loyalist to reap the benefits of RAID anymore.
The Greyjoy and Triarchy champions have undergone a major shift, embracing a combo-based play style that rewards coordinated attacks rather than isolated strikes. Each Champion now has a clear role within their team, ensuring that they fight smarter, strike harder, and thrive in battle alongside their allies.
The Three Roles of a True Raider
Starters - These Champions thrive when they strike first, gaining empowered effects when leading the turn. The Ironborn Scout spreads RAID effectively when he attacks first.
Combos - These Champions are strongest when following up an ally’s attack, unlocking additional damage, effects, or debuffs when used mid-chain. Euron will apply some serious debuffs when his attack follows an ally’s.
Finishers - These Champions excel when used last, often gaining immense power or delivering decisive blows after a setup. If Yara waits for her allies to spread RAID, she’ll deliver a devastating finishing blow.
The Ironborn do not sow… but they do RAID. And now, they do it better than ever.
Euron Greyjoy - His new combo-based kit lets him stack RAID quickly and chain DECEIVE and FEAR for devastating battlefield control.
Yara Greyjoy - The Reaver of the Iron Islands now thrives as a brutal finisher, striking harder with RAID and punishing enemies when they falter.
Theon Greyjoy - As a Prince of Two Houses, he bridges Stark and Greyjoy teams, excelling as an opener who punishes BRITTLE and RAIDED foes with relentless strikes.
Craghas Drahar - The Crabfeeder now thrives in combo teams, steadily wearing down enemies while disrupting their strongest warriors.
Ironborn Berserker - He is now more consistent, striking hard without the need to risk low HP for bonus damage.
Servant of the Drowned God - He’s now an essential enabler for Greyjoy teams, ensuring RAID stacks build quickly while keeping his allies free from crippling debuffs. A great ally for finishers like Yara.
Ironborn Scout - Now thrives as a starter, spreading RAID across all enemies and setting up crushing combos.
Saltcliffe Marauder - Enables multi-target RAID combos, assuring every attack fuels the Greyjoy onslaught.
Triarchy Marauder - He now punishes RAIDED enemies with substantial AoE damage, while becoming harder to hit.
Triarchy Mariner - Now provides support without defeat to combo teams by applying RAID on crits and granting Dodge to his team’s starters.
Triarchy Master Archer - Spreads RAID while in stealth, increasing his threat to exposed enemies.
Triarchy Pirate Captain - Now fuels RAID setups by punishing enemies who miss their attacks and supporting his team’s evasive maneuvers.
Despite these changes, you’ll notice that each champion retains their unique identity - Euron still DECEIVES, Yara still STUNS, and the Triarchy champions continue their signature dodge-focused play style, now with added RAID synergy.
To support these changes, many Greyjoy and Triarchy champions have become faster, as their true power comes from using abilities in sync with their allies.
Factionless Champions
Not every warrior fights under a banner, but every fighter should have a purpose. We’ve taken a closer look at our factionless Champions, and refined them to assure each of them fulfill a meaningful role in battle. Whether they’re solo specialists, disruptive rogues, or support units, every Champion should feel unique, impactful, and rewarding to play.
Here’s what to look for in our factionless champions:
Adolescent Rhaegal - He now hits like a true dragon, with massive damage increases and stamina recovery to ensure he dominates once he awakens.
Caraxes - The Blood Wyrm is now a faster, more reliable hazard destroyer with improved damage and fixes to his Red Dragon Gem.
Margaery Tyrell - Her healing is now more consistent, with stronger sustained healing through RENEW, but reduced burst healing from her skill, "Give Them Your Love".
Braavosi Dagger Master - His strikes are now more reliable and deadly, with guaranteed gem spawns and vastly increased damage.
Knight of the Vale - He now deals more damage and applies his debuffs more reliably, making him a stronger contender among epic champions.
Lhazareen Chieftain - He’s now a sturdier support, with stronger physical resistance and better synergy with healing teams.
Lhazareen Gladiator - Now hits harder and endures longer, making him a formidable force in battle.
Merciless Gold Cloak - He now stuns with certainty and delivers significantly more damage, making him a more reliable enforcer.
Stone Crow Mender - She now provides stronger healing and longer-lasting buffs, making her a more impactful early-game support.
Stone Crow Shaman - His debuffs are now more reliable, triggering whenever a buff is removed, making him a stronger support for unnatural damage teams.
Tanner’s Row Murderer - He’s now deadlier and more consistent, with higher damage and a properly working HP threshold.
The Poisoner - Now applies his toxins with absolute certainty, making him a much more reliable debuffer.
Volantis Assassin - Now hits harder to compensate for his unpredictable targeting.
Wildling Spear Wife - She now deals devastating damage, with her beast-slaying strikes finally affecting dragons.
Why All The Changes?
The battlefield must evolve, and so must we. These changes are not made lightly, nor without care. We are committed to making Game of Thrones: Legends a game that challenges, rewards, and surprises - one where your strategies, skills, and choices matter.
This is just one step in our ongoing journey to refine and perfect the game we all love. As always, we welcome your feedback, and we look forward to seeing how you adapt to these changes.
The Road Ahead
The battle for Westeros never stays the same for long - power rises, power falls, and the wise adapt. As we continue shaping our game, our next release will bring more shifts to balance, play styles, and faction power. Whether your allegiance lies with the Greens, Boltons, Wildlings, or the Nights Watch, changes are coming that will shake up the battlefield and open new strategies for you to master.
May your battles be fierce and your victories legendary.
– BattleKitty, The Game of Thrones: Legends Design Director