“And things like that make it pretty hard for teams to innovate and to practice.” “One of the reasons is that I think pro players are generally pretty rigid in how they tend to approach the game, as well as constant team turnover,” he continued. “We feel like there’s a lot of things that can be played, but for the pro game, there’s a lot of things that kind of run counter to having an evolving meta,” Riot Phroxzon explained.Ĭan Hwei be played as a support? Riot Games states their stance That’s not to say that they aren’t viable at a competitive level, however. Credit: ONE Esports, LCK Flickr, Riot Games

These non-meta picks are a frequent sight on the ranked ladder where players attempt to out-cheese and outplay opponents every chance they get, all for the sake of LP - but it’s rarely seen in pro play. In 2022 when LS coached Cloud9 for a brief stint in the LCS, he made headlines by drafting Soraka mid for Ibrahim “Fudge” Allami to go up against Joseph Joon “jojopyun” Pyun’s Viktor, which resulted in victory.ĭuring that League of Legends meta, he believed that enchanters overall had untapped potential, alongside certain top lane champions who could be flexed to mid depending on the matchup.ĭid you know? Faker owns a building in Seoul and it’s called Faker TowerĪcross the globe, even Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok got wind of Soraka’s LCS debut, and started playing her in solo queue too. VIEW PRICE: FUNKO POP! GAMES: League Of Legends – Thresh Balancing the League of Legends meta for solo queue and pro play across different regions is downright challenging Credit: Funko ONE Esports got the chance to speak with Lead Gameplay Designer Matt “Riot Phroxzon” Leung-Harrison about game balance and solo queue versus pro play meta. LS brought forth the view that pro play has been stale, partly because of the 2017 meta shift, and partly for reasons that hinge on the players themselves.īecause there’s been many voices and opinions in the community surrounding “the meta”, I was curious about how Riot Games is thinking about it, especially in the context of 2024 Void changes on Summoner’s Rift that will impact the game in a big way.Įxclusive: What do Heartsteel and Poros have in common? Rioters reveal secret document One of the most significant discussions of late is driven by analyst Nick “LS” De Cesare, a former coach and LCK shoutcaster who tests in-game theories, plays Korean solo queue, and maintains active, open channels with professional League of Legends players from all regions. In recent years, meta discussions in the community resurface every few months on X and Reddit, particularly when significant patches drop that inspire prominent content creators to give their two cents worth.Įxclusive: Are you meta-ready? Split push to make pounding return in League of Legends 2024 That is, until 2017 when Elemental Dragons were introduced and team fighting took center stage. Since the MOBA title’s debut, the League of Legends meta has evolved distinctly each year. I’ve been playing League of Legends since post-beta in 2009.

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