The decline of the ADC role isn’t a new story; it has left League of Legends players frustrated for several years now. Riot Games occasionally issues updates, like reducing experience gained in the bot lane, sometimes the Infinity Edge doesn’t grant critical hits, or adjusting the damage of items like the Blade of the Ruined King and the Soul Reaver… leaving this position in a precarious state.
Currently, only a few so-called pure ADCs like Aphelios in tournaments or Caitlyn in solo queue still manage to hold their ground. Players even prioritize champions like Yasuo, Syndra, and Senna (who play a non-farming and tank-support style) over traditional auto-attack champions. Champions like Lucian, Quinn, and even Vayne, Kalista have to find alternative paths in top or mid lane.
Perhaps Riot Games has also recognized the imbalance in the bot lane meta, as they are now preparing direct adjustments for this position. Moreover, the mid lane also needs tweaks since it is home to the most diverse champion pool and holds the most power in the game. You might not believe it, but 80% of solo queue matches are determined by the jungle-mid duo.
Insights from Riot’s Mark Yetter – Project Lead for League of Legends – regarding the upcoming changes for the mid and bot lanes:
Riot Mark Yetter: “In the current state of the game, we see that the top lane has significantly increased its influence compared to the last two seasons, while the jungle maintains its considerable power. Our next target is the mid lane and bot lane; these two positions aren’t overly powerful or weak, but they require some adjustments to their power levels.
The ADC position in particular and the bot lane role in general have been a bit weaker this season, so we want to boost this position. The team is exploring various ways to buff the bot lane; we won’t simply buff directly by restoring the experience lost earlier.
We also believe that the mid lane should be the strongest position in the game; however, it currently possesses too much power. A slight reduction in power will help balance this role, and we still want the mid lane to have a significant impact on the game. We are looking for ways to change some mechanics to limit the mid lane’s power without affecting the top lane.”
A player asked: “Will you focus on system changes for nerfing mid lane, buffing bot lane, or will you also adjust specific champion powers?”
Riot Mark Yetter: “Most will be system changes (items, gold, experience). If we change champions, it will affect other lanes as well.”
After the upcoming 10.9 patch, League of Legends will enter a new event series (most likely the Ultimate Weapon 2020), which promises not only events, rewards, and new skins, but also updates that directly affect gameplay. Hopefully, the ADC position will become stronger and have more influence as Riot Games intends.
