The largest League of Legends (LoL) tournament of the year, the 2022 World Championship, has reached its halfway point. After the group stage and play-ins, the teams have given their all to the live audience and viewers around the world. Moreover, the atmosphere from North American fans has been absolutely fantastic, as they cheer wholeheartedly, encouraging and welcoming players every time they shine. Aside from the issue of broadcast times being out of sync with biological clocks, the 2022 World Championship has truly been captivating so far.
Gradually, a Meta Game (best strategies) has formed for the participating teams. They have identified the champions that best complement their players’ strengths and then maximized the team’s potential. For example, T1, despite the Meta Game not favoring the top lane, the Korean representative still followed their own path, allowing Zeus to showcase his carry potential.
Among them, some of the most highly rated champions at this year’s tournament include Aatrox, Maokai, Sejuani, Yuumi, Graves, and Sylas… These champions have garnered a certain level of respect from many teams during the Ban/Pick phase. However, Yuumi has emerged as the most unique champion at Worlds 2022. Reviewing her statistics, everyone will undoubtedly be amazed by her extraordinary numbers.
Yuumi has appeared in 92.2% of the matches played, with 47 instances of Ban/Pick from both teams. Among them, the Magical Cat was only used in 6 matches and banned in 41 matches, indicating that teams are not fond of this champion. In fact, many representatives at Worlds 2022 even despise Yuumi, dedicating a ban to seek safety in the Ban/Pick phase. In her 6 appearances, Yuumi won all 6 matches, achieving a 100% win rate and boasting a KDA of 19.4, an unimaginable number for any champion in the League of Legends arena. Numbers don’t lie; the Magical Cat is becoming the most “overpowered” character at this year’s Worlds.
Before the tournament, the publisher Riot Games attempted to nerf Yuumi to balance the champion. This made Yuumi very weak in ranked mode, especially in the hands of lower-skilled players. However, for high-skilled players, this champion still finds a certain shine as teams know how to control the pace of the game. Yuumi is very weak early game but interacts strongly with items and time, categorized as a support champion capable of carrying. To counter the Magical Cat, teams need to play aggressively in the bot lane, but this attacking style carries many risks; a mistake in a situation can lead to losing the entire match.
Yuumi maximizes her strength when paired with carry marksmen such as Aphelios, Caitlyn, and Sivir at this tournament, especially if the champion is in the hands of Korean or Chinese players. The Korean and Chinese regions understand the champion’s characteristics very well; they will find ways to avoid early skirmishes and aim for a flourishing late game. Therefore, teams facing Korean or Chinese regions ban Yuumi in the Ban/Pick phase.
Not only is she “hated” by professionals, but the LoL community also strongly condemns Yuumi on forums worldwide. Ultimately, a prime example of the Magical Cat being shunned: “Audiences watching at the stadium will boo if Yuumi is chosen at this year’s World Championship.”