Reworking champions has become almost a necessity for Riot Games in recent years as League of Legends continues to introduce more new champions, leaving many older champions feeling outdated. There are many types of reworks; the lighter ones maintain the original skill set but add a few new features to make the champion feel fresher (Wukong is the latest example), while larger reworks keep 2-3 skills and change the remaining outdated details (Fiddlesticks and Volibear).
Then there’s the final type of rework, considered the largest: a comprehensive rework, meaning that Riot will only keep the champion’s name and change everything else, from champion essence, skills, and appearance. Aatrox is the most recent example, as this champion, after the rework, bears almost no traces of the old Aatrox, except for the resurrection ability which was later removed. This type of rework is only applied to champions whose skill designs are so poor that they need a 100% overhaul.
Currently, there are very few champions in League of Legends that fall into this category; even early characters like Annie do not have a skill set that is too poor. However, according to Riot August, a senior member of the champion design team, Aurelion Sol is a champion that needs a full rework similar to Aatrox. His appearance is a perfect 10, but the skill set of the Celestial Dragon is extremely poor and needs to be “demolished and rebuilt.”
Riot August: “Are you asking about upgrading Aurelion Sol’s visuals? I don’t think a visual upgrade is necessary; this dragon needs a complete overhaul of gameplay like Aatrox’s rework to make everything clearer. I believe visually, he’s a 10/10, we should scrap all of his abilities and completely rebuild him, turning Aurelion Sol into the coolest space dragon possible.”
I think an update like Aatrox’s for Aurelion Sol would be fantastic because that character has a lot of potential to explore.”
Aurelion Sol’s current skill set is not weak, the problem is that it leaves players feeling extremely unsatisfied when using his abilities. The idea of a heavy DPS champion is quite nice; however, the fact that just pressing the W button completes your task is a very poor design choice. A comparison with another DPS mage like Azir shows a much better execution, as you at least have to click continuously for the sand soldiers to attack. While not overly complex, it creates a demand for player action.
Additionally, Aurelion Sol’s gameplay lacks any significant burst dynamics; you simply fly in with the E skill, show up in combat, and hit W, then anyone who gets too close is pushed away with the ultimate. This gameplay is too lackluster for a fast-paced game like League of Legends. Thus, it’s understandable why this dragon’s pick rate is steadily declining.
Previously, several senior representatives of Riot Games confirmed that they would rework a champion not on the prior voting list, and combined with what Riot August mentioned above, it is very likely that the champion in question is Aurelion Sol.