It might have taken the League of Legends player base a bit of time to warm up to her, but Bel’Veth has quickly shot up the ranks as one of the most influential champions in solo queue.
The Empress of the Void currently has a 52.5 percent win rate at Platinum ranks and higher, while also holding the highest ban rate of any champion by far with a whopping 67.4 percent, according to League stats site U.GG. Across all ranks, she maintains win rates above 52 percent while still being one of the most played champions.
Whenever a new champion releases, their win rates are usually skewed heavily due to the vast number of players trying them out and experimenting with build paths. Bel’Veth, for example, started off with an abysmal 37 percent win rate, but this was expected. Once the ideal build and skill paths were figured out, her true win rate began to shine as players learned when and how to use her in specific team compositions and situations.
In Patch 12.12, Bel’Veth was actually hit with some nerfs to curb the upswing in win rate, according to Riot’s lead champion designer August Browning. The devs lowered some of her base stats, as well as her late-game passive stats, E damage, and ultimate capabilities. Without those nerfs, August says that the champion would be sitting at a 56 to 58 percent win rate in lower MMR.
Bel’Veth holds plenty of mobility with her Q to traverse teamfights, but she also has her Royal Maelstrom to stay healthy and relatively tanky during a skirmish where she’s being focused on. With a big knock-up and ramping attack speed that can rival any other champ in the game, she has swiftly become a powerhouse in solo queue.
