According to the schedule announced by Riot Games, this year League of Legends players will definitely witness the transformation of two champions, Dr. Mundo and Udyr. Additionally, there may be a few other champions “on the chopping block” in the second half of 2021.
Although the purpose of reworking is to make champions more “popular”, the results do not always meet expectations. In fact, the fate of reworked champions is becoming increasingly unpredictable. Many champions are either too “boring” or weak to play, while others have turned into imbalanced monsters that are picked as soon as they become available.
Here are some notable names; see if you agree!
Aatrox
Since his rework, Aatrox has undergone continuous changes in power but remains a “hot pick” in the meta. By the 2021 season, Aatrox seemed to “gain wings” by fully utilizing new item features. Many players even consider Aatrox to be a “broken champion” that should be banned immediately due to his overpowering strength when combined with the Bloodthirster + Serpent’s Fang combo.
Udyr
The fate of Udyr is currently quite “unfortunate”. He has been “missing” from League of Legends for many seasons, with only one selection in professional play during Season 10. It wasn’t until the current 2021 season that Udyr became a “hot pick” and was suddenly chosen by fans to be reworked soon.
Fiddlesticks
While some champions adapt extremely well to new items, others, like Fiddlesticks, have been “discarded” from the meta. This champion has been quite “unlucky” as he was just reworked in April last year and became a hot pick in both ranked and professional play.
Yet this year he has “disappeared” from the meta, not being picked once in professional tournaments and barely used to climb ranks. The only mode where Fiddlesticks is still valued is… ARAM.
Pantheon
Currently, Pantheon is regarded as a fairly balanced champion because he is neither too strong nor too weak, making him suitable for all roles except the marksman position. Furthermore, Pantheon’s status in the meta has not changed much after the introduction of the new season’s items.
Nunu
Since his rework, Nunu has become quite an interesting champion as players mainly use him for comedic purposes in ranked games, and few bring him into professional play. For various reasons, even when Nunu is used in professional tournaments, he is only utilized in lower-tier competitions, rarely appearing in major events.
Swain
It seems Swain is a champion with an extremely short “shelf life” that Riot Games has introduced into League of Legends. After being reworked in early 2018, Swain became quite popular for about a year, but since summer 2019, he has been “in the shadows” in the professional arena. Even in ranked mode, Swain is not a champion with a strong presence in the meta.