The League of Legends version 12.17 has been released on almost all servers worldwide. Only one more version awaits, as the most anticipated tournament, the World Championship, officially kicks off. Although the publisher Riot Games has not announced specifics, the gaming community has predicted that the competitive version will be 12.18. And in version 12.18, if not much changes, we can start shaping the strategies (Meta) for this year’s world championship.
1. Top Lane
This year’s top lane has not seen many changes, due to various reasons. First, the dragon area is now too important, while the Rift Herald area is no longer a focus, which means that teammates will receive less attention in the top lane. Second, champions that are team-carrying, like physical damage fighters or top lane carries, are not very strong, so stability becomes the top priority.
From all of the above, strong teams in the top lane are not supported by the Meta this year, such as T1, Damwon KIA,…
2. Jungle
Currently, Graves is getting buffs and starting to become strong again, while tanky and control champions like Trundle, Volibear, and Poppy have been nerfed or are no longer in their previous position. Therefore, the jungle position will trend towards being quite diverse, with both strong carries and good map control.
Therefore, teams with star jungle players will have strong performance, especially those with versatile playstyles. This year, the Meta is expected to favor Jindong Gaming in the jungle position due to their highly reputable jungler: Kanavi, as well as Damwon KIA.
This Meta will disadvantage teams with weaker jungle positions compared to other positions, T1 being one example. For GAM and SGB, this Meta is considered somewhat favorable.
3. Mid Lane
When discussing the mid lane position, one must always consider the jungle position. These two positions must always support each other, so if one lane carries, the other must provide support or at least have qualities to assist or carry. With the jungle leaning towards carrying, this year’s mid lane will likely support the team more, though it can still play carry champions. The best carry champions at this year’s world championship will be: Corki, Viktor, Ryze,… after Azir was nerfed.
Thus, the mid lane Meta this year is compatible with all players, especially those who can perform well in both roles: Carry or Support.
4. AD Carry
Of course, after Riot Games changed the dragon position, AD carries will definitely gain more attention, plus the current carry champions are too strong, so this year’s Meta will revolve around AD carries. In fact, the hot AD carries this year will belong to the high damage group rather than attack AD carries like Kalista, Draven,… or support AD carries like Senna.
With the critical change to Miss Fortune, this champion will definitely be very “Hot” in the World Championship matches. Additionally, we will have Sivir still performing well, Aphelios dazzling in the hands of elite players, Ezreal has been “buffed” on his E ability, Tristana is showing signs of flourishing, or the Kog’Maw and Lulu duo making an appearance. Therefore, this year’s Meta will favor powerful AD carries in the bot lane such as: Ruler, Viper, Gala, Hope,… Gumayusi also belongs to the high-skill AD carry category, but his inconsistent performance makes T1 fans worried.
5. Support
With the rise of strong tank champions, tournament supports will lean more towards shield and healing mages rather than attack champions. Tank champions play a role in prolonging fights, while mages with short cooldowns become increasingly effective in battle the longer they survive, thus tank champions will synergize well with mages, who become strong in the late game when combined with carry AD carries. Therefore, teams with supports that have good thinking and skills will not maximize their advantages. This Meta favors teams with less experienced supports, limiting the strength of teams with star players in the support position.
Conclusion
The team facing the most significant disadvantage in this Meta is T1, as they almost cannot meet the advantages of this year’s Meta. Meanwhile, the Meta strongly favors teams like Gen.G, Jindong Gaming, EDG, RNG, while other teams like Damwon KIA, European and North American representatives are somewhat stable. For the two representatives of Vietnam, this Meta is quite favorable as both GAM and SGB have excellent AD carries, with the mid lane and jungle coordinating closely together.