What meta? 28 unique champions were picked during the Worlds finals series between DRX and T1

Though fans expected a meta to quickly develop at this year’s League of Legends World Championship thanks to massive balance changes, as the tournament progressed, it became clear that no specific playstyle was set in stone.

Within just the finals series between DRX and T1, a total of 28 unique champions were played, with each of the five games possessing drastically different drafts for both teams. Many of the options that these players chose ventured far outside of what was considered “meta,” most of them choosing champions they were more comfortable with that led to one of the most memorable finals series in Worlds history.

The variation in champion picks during finals was not specific to any single role, and all 10 players battling for the Summoner’s Cup reached deep into their arsenals at times to catch their opponents off-guard. Between the opposing top laners, Zeus and Kingen, Yone, Aatrox, Ornn, Fiora, Gragas, Camille, and Gwen all made appearances, with only Aatrox and Fiora having been staple picks of this year’s Worlds up to this point.

The battle of the junglers, Pyosik and Oner, saw Lee Sin, Viego, Graves, Maokai, Sejuani, and Hecarim played, all rather standard picks that have enjoyed play throughout most of the tournament. Despite this lack of jungle diversity, the two players proved crucial to the victories these teams accrued, showcasing strong synergy with their carries.

In the mid lane lay Faker, considered the greatest of all time in professional League, against the rookie, Zeka, who had been a staple in multiple upset victories for DRX. The two added Azir, Sylas, Viktor, and Akali to the finals champion pool, all of which had been common choices for these players in their Worlds runs.

But much of the champion diversity stemmed from the bot lane, where both duos opted for combinations that hadn’t been prevalent at Worlds up to this point—some not even having been played at all. Varus, Sivir, Renata Glasc, Heimerdinger, Ashe, Lux, Kalista, Karma, Soraka, Caitlyn, and Bard all made appearances throughout the series, though it was Varus that proved to be the most contested pick, appearing in all five games with an 80-percent win rate.

Despite such large variation, this number is actually lower than the champion diversity of the finals last year, where the five-game series between EDG and DWG KIA saw 33 unique champions picked. This year’s number also ties the 2020 finals between Damwon and Suning, which only went to four games.

However, the entirety of Worlds this year is notable for having the most champion diversity across the entire tournament in the history of Worlds, in which 109 different champions were played from play-ins to finals.

DRX emerged from this finals series as the victors, having triumphed from the play-ins stage to this point while constantly being doubted by fans and players alike in what they were capable of. With so many champions to choose from for their commemorative skins, the team revealed their top choices yesterday in a post-game press conference that, should they be chosen, will give Worlds skins to a few champions for the first time.