Many champions have come in and out of the meta throughout the League of Legends 2021 World Championship. There is, however, one specific top lane yordle that has popped off in the hands of multiple stars across the tournament: Kennen.
With some of the most electric plays of the event so far, Kennen has the second-highest win rate of any champion with at least 10 games played at Worlds, according to Oracle’s Elixir. At just over 70 percent, Kennen trails only Syndra in the category, while also boasting fifth place on most kills of any champion played.
The Heart of the Tempest has been a go-to pick for multiple top laners this month due to his ability to turn teamfights with his massive area-of-effect ultimate ability, Slicing Maelstrom. He can also get through most early laning phases because of his ranged capabilities, and he can escape some dire situations with the bonus movement speed featured on his Lightning Rush ability.
In the later stages of the game, Kennen’s outright burst and teamfighting skills are deadly in the hands of a star player, especially when combined with the coordinated efforts of a professional team. Kennen flanks have decided matches throughout this tournament and have provided spectators with plenty of moments to cheer about.
With 17 games under his belt and only five losses, you can expect to see more of Kennen in the coming days. Players like DWG KIA’s Khan, T1’s Canna, Gen.G’s Rascal, and Cloud9’s Fudge have all picked him in their run to the Summoner’s Cup, and in many games, we’ve seen highlight reel-level plays in those games.
For example, Khan took Kennen into his team’s second game against MAD Lions during their quarterfinals series, and he was instrumental in mounting a comeback for the victory.
Tomorrow, look to see if Canna or Fudge break out Kennen during C9 and T1’s quarterfinals series, where they and their team will decide whose Worlds dreams will continue and who will be forced to wake up to reality.
Make sure to follow us on YouTube for more esports news and analysis.
