One thing we cannot deny is that the top ADCs in Korea always possess extremely impressive personal skills, especially their accuracy in using skill shots. It’s no coincidence that the “Korean Ezreal” from the past like Piglet, Bang, Deft, and more recently Teddy and Viper, have become the archetype of ADCs that League of Legends players aspire to.
However, the harsh reality is that this is no longer true; Korea is where Ezreal, once their pride, has the lowest win rate at just 27.8% in the summer LCK. This figure is even lower than North America (35.6%) and far behind China (55.8%) and Europe (56.3%).
To explain this, a Korean League of Legends expert and YouTuber named “프로관전러 P.S” provided a detailed analysis. There are two main reasons for this situation: one is that ADCs in LCK teams often build Ezreal incorrectly, and the second reason is that teams are too familiar with this champion and have found effective counter strategies.
In the first reason, the YouTuber pointed out that players in the LCK often buy the Sword of the Divine before the Tear of the Goddess, which slows down the progress of building Manamune for Ezreal. Meanwhile, ADCs in the LPL like JackeyLove or Smlz prioritize the Pickaxe and Tear of the Goddess before the Sword of the Divine.
So why does this affect Ezreal’s power? The answer lies in the fact that if you buy the Sword of the Divine first, the time to acquire Manamune will be longer, which inevitably delays its transformation into the God Sword Muramana. Keep in mind that Ezreal only truly gains power and influence in the game when he has the God Sword Muramana; if your Manamune hasn’t transformed yet, then even if you have the Trinity Force or Iceborn Gauntlet, you will still be weaker compared to your opponents.
The second reason pointed out by “프로관전러 P.S” is that LCK teams understand Ezreal’s power thresholds, allowing them to initiate fights at times when this champion is at its weakest. As mentioned earlier, Ezreal will only be truly strong when he has the God Sword Muramana, which requires time to stack, typically until the third dragon to be sufficient.
Knowing this, LCK teams often organize attacks when Ezreal hasn’t stacked enough for Manamune, ensuring the opposing ADC lacks damage. If you allow your opponents to secure crucial dragons too easily, it can create significant pressure on them and lead to a much simpler victory.
Perhaps the itemization focusing on the laning phase by Korean ADCs, with immediate damage from the Sword of the Divine, has caused the completion speed of the God Sword Muramana to be slower compared to other regions. They expose a glaring weakness in terms of power, making them more susceptible to exploitation, and the immediate consequence is the defeats they face.