League of Legends players are expressing their dissatisfaction with Riot’s decision to rework the champion K’Sante so soon after his release. This practice of reworking champions shortly after their launch has become a recurring issue, indicating oversights during the development process. Yuumi and Zeri are also mentioned as examples of champions that have undergone reworks despite their prominence in professional play.
Yuumi, in particular, has been a problem for a long time, being pick/ban tier in Worlds for two years but not performing well in solo queue. The handling of this issue took too long, and the resulting changes made the champion underpowered. Now, K’Sante is facing a similar fate with another rework shortly after his release. His kit has proven to be problematic, with a low win rate in solo queue but a constant presence in professional play.
Throughout the 2023 season, K’Sante was the second-most popular champion in pro play, while Yuumi consistently had a near-100 percent pick/ban rate in consecutive World Championships. Zeri also had the highest pick/ban rate among ADCs last season. However, these champions do not perform as well in the hands of average players. In Patch 13.19, K’Sante and Yuumi have the second-lowest win rates in their main positions, while Zeri has the lowest win rate among all ADCs across all ranks.
The concept of hypermobility and untargetability, which these champions possess, is considered gamebreaking. Many players believe that these mechanics should not exist in their current forms. K’Sante, in particular, excels in mid-late game 1v1 situations and rarely loses. The power scaling from tank to skirmisher with tank item passives is seen as excessively strong. It remains to be seen if the upcoming changes will address these issues adequately.
The World Championship is set to begin on Oct. 9, and while it is unlikely that these champions will have a near-100 percent pick/ban rate, professional players may still opt for them due to their familiarity. K’Sante, in particular, has been a popular choice among top laners this year and may be considered a “comfort pick.” However, the impact of the rework on his popularity remains to be seen.
There is currently no specific timeline for K’Sante’s extensive rework, but it is expected to be implemented during the 2024 preseason and potentially ready for the next season of professional play.
Source: DOTESPORTS
