League of Legends Champion Counterplay and New Projects

In the past two days, Riot Games revealed multiple details about upcoming changes and features in League of Legends. Some mentioned are mobility balancing, item refining and additions, champion updating, split pushing improvements and other features for League of Legends counterplay. Although there’s no set date, Riot focuses on balancing and polishing the curve one step at a time.

Champion Counterplay

Starting all the way back in League of Legends preseason, players got to experience new features tilting the game into new areas. New items, shop interface, champions, updates and more. One of the more recent balances in Season 11 is the Jungle adjustments made this patch to support picking popularity and comfortability. Ultimately, the game is in a great position but there are some spaces that Riot is looking to straighten out.

Gameplay Thoughts blog today is a bit more philosophical. Diving into our Counterplay design value and how we approach it. https://t.co/kLQkpkCR2V pic.twitter.com/PAZyzZFVf0

— Mark Yetter (@MarkYetter) May 14, 2021

In the dev blog, an area that was made paramount by Riot is counterplay. The team is focusing this week on improving champion counterplay to provide League of Legends players with more chances to come back. The blog proceeds to discuss the kinds of counterplay and key focuses in adjusting certain areas. Many of the informative points made help fans understand the “design value” and how Riot Games “approaches it.”

Subsequently, the focus on counterplay ties in well with upcoming projects that balance split pushing, item variation and more. These future projects have no timeline, are all indefinite and subject to change if necessary. One of the assured balances that are approaching is reduced systemic mobility. Riot will target “major mobility outliers that go too far breaking intended weaknesses like Stridebreaker.” Ultimately, “small movement speed across items and runes” will be reduced to provide players with a better opportunity to counterplay.

Wanted to share an update of projects in flight on the SR team (they own balance and systems). These are in rough priority/timeline order but things can always change.

Notable new project is aimed at reducing systemic mobility in places where it has crept or gone too far. pic.twitter.com/326mJQJgc8

— Mark Yetter (@MarkYetter) May 13, 2021

League of Legends Projects

Another revealed project is top agency and split pushing. Riot will “continue to increase top agency and the viability of split pushing.” Some adjustments make their way to turrets to make them a little more “valuable.” Additionally, new split push-focused fighter and tank items will be available in the future.

Speaking of items, new tank legendary options will arrive soon. Underused items like Frozen Heart and Warmogs Amore will receive tweaks to promote usage. This adjustment will hopefully create varieties of item compositions. Additionally, a defensive legendary for enchanters is coming, though it won’t debut any time soon. Lastly, as everyone knows, Tahm Kench is receiving a makeover and Sona will be next. But there aren’t any current details about Sona as Tahm Kench needs to finish first.

League of Legends is in a great state and looks like it’ll continue to stay that way. Playing the ADC role isn’t as deadly as it used to be. Jungling is now more comfortable. Figuring out item and champion compositions has never been more interesting. Season 11 kicked off with a bang and found its equilibrium later down the line. However, only time will tell if the future projects and adjustments provide an added balance or create a dissonance. Players must wait and see as the new champion counterplay updates arrive in League of Legends.

Written by Jay Hunter

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