The meta in League of Legends<\/em> changes virtually every season. Even mid-season patches can be impactful enough to shake up the game’s balance, and it can take a while for players to get used to all the changes.<\/p>
When a meta-defining patch goes live, you will need to go through a small learning period to grasp the basics of the new meta. This may cause you to take your first few matches slowly since you’ll spend more time observing the game for the notable changes. If you’d like to prepare yourself before a patch goes live, however, you can test upcoming patches in the Public Beta Environment (PBE).<\/p>
Riot Games tests each game patch on the PBE client first to iron out possible bugs with the help of player feedback. A patch only hits the live servers after a successful PBE test, and more players are always welcome to the PBE. In addition to beta testing, playing in the PBE server can allow you to crack the next patch and stay ahead of the curve when it finally hits the live servers. While most of the player base will spend their first days trying to figure out the new patch, you’ll already know all the ins and outs of it thanks to your time in the PBE.<\/p>
Here’s how you download the PBE client and start testing the patches before they’re available in the live servers.<\/p>