In recent seasons, Riot has always made quite unique moves ahead of major tournaments. These include significant champion balance adjustments that lead to the creation of an entirely new meta just before MSI or Worlds begins.
At MSI 2021, the community witnessed a tournament with many interesting picks, such as the dominance of Rumble and Morgana in the Jungle role, or Lee Sin appearing frequently in both Top and Mid lanes. Meanwhile, Worlds 2021 was also praised for its champion diversity from the Play-In stage to the Group Stage.
The complete change in meta makes the performance of the teams participating in these tournaments unpredictable. Many teams perform exceptionally well in their domestic leagues but struggle when entering international tournaments. The most notable case is FunPlus Phoenix at Worlds 2021. Doinb and his teammates couldn’t adapt quickly enough to a completely new playstyle, leading to their elimination in the group stage.
Continuing this tradition, Riot is preparing for significant adjustments in the upcoming patches before MSI 2022. The changes in version 12.7 will also give the community a first glimpse into the new meta.
First, a host of Fighter champions with increased physical damage will see a significant power boost. Familiar names like Pantheon, Yone, and Yasuo come to mind. Notably, Wukong will have his “Monkey King” ability enhanced in this patch, allowing him to pass through walls with his W – Warrior Trickster, which could create powerful surprises in both the Jungle and solo lanes.
Another stepping stone for the Fighter meta’s return is the emergence of Jungle champions leaning towards Ability Power. Both Karthus and Lillia have received buffs to their damage against monsters in 12.7, while Nidalee has already been buffed previously. Diana remains a useful champion in the current meta. These champions will pave the way for Mid Lane players to comfortably choose Fighters without being overly reliant on control Mages.
It is evident that Riot’s goal is to speed up game pace. The return of strong early-game Marksmen like Lucian and Kalista also proves this point. This will increase the tempo of matches, rather than waiting for pure Marksmen like Aphelios and Jinx to shine in team fights or late-game when they have enough items.
After Riot announced information about the 12.7 update, many opinions arose suggesting that the balancing team wanted to “nerf T1”, the team currently dominating after winning LCK Spring 2022. The direct power reductions for champions like Jayce, Lee Sin, and Ryze easily lead the community to associate them with T1’s key champions.
However, at this moment, the sudden change in meta is unlikely to pose a challenge for T1. With his years of competitive experience, Faker has enough knowledge to prepare thoroughly with the coaching staff for any meta.
First, it should be noted that the champion pool of T1’s members is incredibly wide. In addition to Faker, the “boy 72 champs”, young players like Zeus, Oner, Gumayusi, and Keria are also ready to use various champion types.
Suppose the meta at MSI 2022 shifts like last year, Oner still has comfortable Jungle champions like Diana, especially Nidalee – a champion that he loves but used rarely in the previous season. When Marksmen no longer play the carry role, Zeus or Faker can fully take on that responsibility.
Moreover, T1 has a significant advantage in the time available to understand the meta. As LCK is the earliest finishing league among all regions, Faker and his teammates have ample time to prepare and thoroughly understand the changes in upcoming patches.
Finally, there’s the home advantage as MSI 2022 is officially held in Busan, South Korea. T1 will save a lot of time in preparation and traveling to the competition venue. Additionally, recent information suggests that T1’s biggest rival – the Spring 2022 LPL champions might not be able to attend or may have to compete online.
With a multitude of favorable conditions at this time, T1 has increasingly more opportunities to claim the MSI 2022 championship right on home soil. At this point, the community questions whether Riot’s subtle efforts can hinder Faker and his teammates’ march toward the crown or not?