T1’s Familiar Playstyle is Nearly Eradicated
By introducing numerous new mechanics simultaneously, Riot has put many teams in a tough spot. Of course, the players’ task is to adapt as quickly as possible. But clearly, the element of a “comeback” in each match is no longer present, and perhaps, only after the early game, the audience can already tell which team will emerge victorious. The latest “victim” is T1.
In particular, the “comeback” playstyle, maximizing mistakes made by opponents to find opportunities to turn the tide, is a hallmark of T1 during difficult times. And with the Atakhan buff, Riot has almost completely eradicated one of the strengths of the 2024 World Championship champion.
Let’s consider a scenario: Faker creates a breakthrough with a Shurima Shuffle or a Sonic Wave, but the opponent isn’t taken down and simply returns to the ancient relic faster. Defeat is almost guaranteed for T1 afterwards, and there will be no more “godly” plays.
Not Only T1 but the LCK Cup 2025 is Also a “Victim”
While the LPL has had a trial season, the LCK had to implement Fearless Draft alongside significant changes that Riot introduced to League of Legends. The combination of Fearless Draft and the Atakhan buff is making professional matches quite… “one-dimensional”.
“Unusual” champions have yet to appear much, aside from a few exceptions like Yasuo or Xerath that recently returned to the professional scene. But only 2 out of a total of 65 champions have been used (as of after the T1 – DK match), which is still far too few compared to audience expectations.
The scenario of all matches so far has been to go to all 3 games, and teams will reserve their preferred bans and picks for the most decisive match. Additionally, once in the game, the team on the Blue side has a significant advantage. This is because the Atakhan buff appears near the Baron pit, which is a position that Blue side teams can control more easily, while Red side teams can more easily control the Dragon buff.
Because of the Atakhan buff, the ability to “snowball” once the team has the advantage is further enhanced. According to statistics from Gol.gg, the win rate of the Blue side is 83.3% – an extremely high figure after 4 matches played. Only once has a team failed to capitalize on Atakhan, which was OKSavingsBank BRION in their match against DRX.
Perhaps in the future, Riot will need to rethink the new mechanics in League of Legends, especially in the professional arena. They had to quickly adjust Atakhan after receiving too much negative feedback. However, it seems that everything has not yet been resolved thoroughly.