The League of Legends World Championships is one of the most exciting times of the year for fans. It’s also one of the busiest times of the year for the balance team and professional players. Recent patches are attempting to reintroduce champions that have been lacking in the metagame, while also lowering the power level of some of the more dominant champions. Patch 9.19 should introduce some significant changes to the League of Legends metagame in preparation for Worlds.
The following champions have had a strong presence in the competitive metagame for quite some time now. The nerfs introduced in the latest patches should significantly lower their pick and ban rates.
Image Courtesy of Riot Games
Aatrox was the most heavily contested top lane champion in the Summer split of the NA LCS with a pick and ban rate of 92.5%. His strong laning phase alongside his ability to carry teamfights with his Q is what made him stand out. The nerfs to the healing from his passive against minions and the damage to minions from his Q has a significant impact on his laning phase, and should lower his pick and ban rate during Worlds.
Sejuani was a priority jungler to pick or ban during the Summer split of the NA LCS with a pick and ban rate of 91.4%. The mid-game power, utility and crowd control she provides, and a strong jungle clear are what put her over the top of other junglers. The nerfs to her passive damage and resistances and the increased cooldown on her Q should lower the importance that teams place on her during Worlds.
Sylas is a problematic champion because he is a flexible pick that can be placed in either the top lane, middle lane, or jungle. Removing some of his power in the jungle by decreasing his base armor, and lowering his ability to quickly clear jungle camps should force teams to place him in either the top or middle lane. His ability to steal ultimates from enemy champions is still powerful, so expect to see him at Worlds.
The following champions have seen little competitive play recently due to their lack of power in comparison to some of the top picks. The recent buffs to these champions should allow for them to be a part of the League of Legends Worlds metagame.
Image Courtesy of Riot Games
Fiora is known for being one of the best split push champions in the game. The buffs to Fiora in patch 9.19 are pushing this further. She has seen little competitive play recently due to her weak abilities as a teamfighter. Teams might adapt to a split push strategy in response to the buffs. Her Q can now hit towers and wards, tremendously increasing the speed she can destroy turrets. Her E can also now critically strike towers.
Image Courtesy of Riot Games
Galio has struggled in the competitive metagame ever since the removal of his ability to flash and taunt. The strong buffs he received in patch 9.17 should help him find a place in the metagame. The cooldown on his Q has been decreased, while the minimum and maximum damage on his W has been greatly increased. Legendary LCK player Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok has recently been seen on stream practicing Galio. It’s possible that SKT T1 will include Galio in their champion pool during Worlds.
Riven is a more common pick in competitive play than Galio and Fiora. However, she is still a low priority champion with a pick and ban rate of only 11.8% in the Summer split of the NA LCS. The cooldown on her E has been reduced by two seconds at each rank. This is a major buff to a champion that tends to rush 40 percent cooldown reduction.
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