Perhaps many viewers who have followed Faker since the legendary days of the League of Legends scene debut are no strangers to his exceptional skills. Especially, Faker always studies and practices each champion very meticulously, and he has used 75 champions (as of March 2023) out of the total 175 champions present in the League of Legends universe. Furthermore, the LoL community has spread various information suggesting that there are certain champions that have prompted Riot to urgently “nerf” after Faker used them, turning them into “unstoppable” in ranked matches or in professional arenas.
Recently, Faker has also conducted some experiments ahead of the new season with the new champion Hwei. As it is known, with his vast knowledge of League of Legends, Faker easily identifies the key elements of the champion Hwei. According to Faker’s analysis, while Hwei possesses many skills, they bear certain similarities to champions that have long been in League of Legends, such as Brand or Volibear. Therefore, in Faker’s view, the new champion, despite having many skills, is not too difficult to play.
Perhaps because Faker has spoken up, recently, Riot August – the lead designer of League of Legends stated: “If you are wondering why Hwei seems weaker than usual and has not received any buffs, then perhaps you need to watch Faker share, to see that this champion is balanced already.” Of course, this is just a playful jab from the lead designer of League of Legends, but it also recalls the era when Faker was referred to by fans as the “champion nerf god” as any champion in his hands became extraordinarily strong.
Moreover, at this time, the new champion Hwei has not had any professional matches. Therefore, to determine whether a champion truly needs buffs or nerfs, Riot will need to observe the performance of that champion in higher-tier environments beyond just ranked play. And any adjustments for Hwei may only come if Riot observes and evaluates that the champion genuinely requires modification. For example, K’Sante also had to go through numerous matches before adjustments were made to suit.
As for Faker, the new season is approaching. And it is very likely that Faker will have matches using Hwei in the Mid Lane as he has already demonstrated the effectiveness of the new champion after experiencing it in ranked play or during practice.