Briar, the 165th champion in League of Legends, was released on Sept. 25 and has quickly become one of the most successful champions of the year. Despite receiving nerfs, she remains overpowered and maintains a consistently high win rate.
When new champions are introduced in League, they often start off overpowered and are promptly nerfed, or they struggle to compete with existing champions due to confusing kits or being underpowered. Many expected Briar to follow this pattern upon her release. However, she proved to be a formidable force on the Rift from the start. Despite being banned frequently in the past five patches, her win rates have remained remarkably high, even after multiple nerfs.
According to U.GG, a League stat tracker, Briar’s win rate has not dropped below 51.6 percent, with her current win rate across all ranks standing at 52.83 percent. This suggests that players have a good chance of success when choosing her. Of course, this is assuming they understand how to build her and utilize her kit effectively, provided she isn’t banned first. While her ban rate of 35 percent may seem unusually high, it was even higher at 48.7 percent at one point. Despite this, Briar can still be considered a success on the Rift. However, if you find yourself playing against her, you are more likely to experience her oppressive strength rather than enjoy her success.
Despite receiving nerfs, Briar’s win rates have remained consistently high, contributing to her success. Additionally, her popularity among players has played a significant role. Over the past three patches, her pick rate has remained steady at around seven percent. In contrast, newer champions like Naafiri have seen their pick rates decline with each patch, currently sitting at just 2.3 percent.
Briar’s overpowered nature has undoubtedly contributed to her success in terms of win rates. Furthermore, her consistent popularity and high pick rates demonstrate that she is a champion capable of winning games when played skillfully. However, this could change if Riot Games decides to heavily nerf her or rework her kit.
Source: DOTESPORTS
