Many people might be focused on the 2020 World Championship, but Riot Games is also looking towards the future with League of Legends‘ Patch 10.21. This time, the developers are planning to nerf multiple key champions, including Samira and Pantheon support.
As Riot lead gameplay designer Mark “Scruffy” Yetter said, things will be kept “as balanced as [they] can” until the end of this season. These changes are more long term, though.
For example, one long-term change being made is moving Pantheon away from the support position, and back to the solo lanes where he was originally designed for. Over the past season, the Unbreakable Spear has quickly become a big pick in the bottom lane for competitive teams, especially in Korea.
His ability to click and stun any target—while also blocking all subsequent damage with his Aegis Assault—made him a great champion to start off a tower dive, or lead off a successful gank from a jungler. As a result, he has been picked by top-tier players, like DAMWON Gaming’s star support BeryL.
Samira is also getting some nerfs in Patch 10.21, after her blazing debut on the Summoner’s Rift. According to U.GG, she has a 50 percent win rate in ranks above Platinum, and has a whopping 74.2 percent ban rate in solo queue at the moment.
Other champions—like Graves, Hecarim, Camille, and Nidalee—are all getting nerfs as well. These four champions have all been key picks at Worlds this year, so we might be looking at a quick preview of how the meta will be shifting next year.
