The year is finally coming to a close, and so are the bi-weekly updates for Riot Games’ League of Legends. Before we celebrate the holidays, however, the developers have prepared one final micropatch for summoners to try before 2022 arrives.
In Patch 11.24b, Riot Phlox has outlined some of the targets of the update, including a handful of champions that will be getting some buffs. Almost all of the picks in the notes have been premium picks in both solo queue and the competitive scene, and they could see even more playing time in the near future.
For example, Kai’Sa and Varus are both getting some adjustments after being two of the most contested choices in the bottom lane. Kai’Sa had the highest pick-ban presence of any AD carry champion in the world during season 11 at 50 percent. She was also the most-played champion among pros with a whopping 2,589 games, according to stats aggregate Games of Legends.
Varus, on the other hand, came in second among ADCs with a 34 percent pick-ban rate. He wasn’t played nearly as much as Kai’Sa, but he still had a huge impact on both the pro scene and the ranked ladder.
Some people might not be happy to see Olaf on the buff list, since he has been a menace all year for pro players and casual players alike. Many have felt the wrath of this angry barbarian on-stage, and as a result, he was the ninth-most banned champion in pro play this past year, according to gol.gg. His quick jungling, skirmishing power, and ability to ignore crowd control in later teamfights made him an easy pick for any jungler.
As one of League‘s newest champions, Gwen saw a lot of attention right from the get-go with her simple yet powerful design. Most teams didn’t want to deal with her massive burst damage and her Hallowed Mist ability that makes her immune to all CC and damage. She was the seventh-most banned champion in 2021, and she still had a respectable 54 percent win rate.
Lastly, Pyke is getting buffs after falling out of the meta. He was only played 111 times in 2021, but he can still make an impact in the right hands. He can find picks with a well-placed Bone Skewer, make game-changing plays with his Phantom Undertow stun, and sweep up a teamfight with his ultimate ability.
If you’re worried about any major buffs being sent out before we ring in the new year, don’t worry too much. Since this is a micropatch, major changes shouldn’t be headed our way until the first true update next month.
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