Gaming
We tracked down the world’s best players and asked them what they would change in League of Legends.
Professional League of Legends players spend hours every day playing the game that we all love. The best in the world make it their business to know every last detail of the game. They know every ability name, damage and scaling stats, and how each one interacts with every hero and other ability in the game. They know every counter pick in the book, every key timing and the perfect jungle paths for every viable jungler. It’s a wealth of knowledge that we can only dream of one day having.
This also puts them in the unique position of being able to suggest changes to the game that won’t instantly break everything and can actually work. Outside of those who work at Riot, the pro players are arguably the most qualified people to balance the game, and while their ideas might not be perfect every time, they can certainly do a better job than us.
Unfortunately, Riot aren't ones to give pro players free reign when it comes to making changes to the most popular MOBA in the world, and understandably so. Sure, they may ask for pro player feedback now and then, but they will never let the pros have complete control of the game. But we wanted to find out what things would look like if they did, so we scoured the globe for some of the best players in the world and asked them: if they could change one thing about League of Legends, what would it be?
Barrier
One of the most reasonable suggestions came from Flash Wolves mid laner Huang ‘Maple’ Yi-Tang, who suggested that the summoner spell Barrier could do with a bit of a buff. It certainly isn't the most extravagant option, but we respect the fact that he wants to fix something that clearly irritates him, instead of trying to turn the entire game on its head. Over recent times Barrier has seen very little pro play, with the other summoner spells usually being more effective. Sure, being able to block incoming damage for two seconds sounds great in theory, but it doesn't help out the rest of your team at all and has no other boosts, meaning Heal is almost always a better option. A buff is probably already on the cards, so Maple may get his wish after all.
Drakes
Since the changes to the dragon system almost a year ago most players seem to have got used to the system and accepted it for what it is, although at the time it was very controversial. One player that still isn’t a fan of the system is Febiven, who says he would remove the system entirely, as the random element still makes things very challenging. Some good Drake spawns can give a well drafted comp a near unbeatable advantage, while on the other hand, some bad Drake luck can really limit a team’s effectiveness. While we think getting rid of the system entirely is a little harsh, there probably could be a few improvements. Letting teams know what the first dragon will be before the draft starts would certainly be an interesting idea.
Rift Herald
We thought this would come up a little more, but it was only Splyce jungler Trashy who suggested that the Rift Herald could use a bit of a change. Right now, it’s a buff that teams rarely prioritise, and one that can have very little effectiveness in certain comps. The length of the buff is always nice, but when you hit the 30 minute stage, having 5 percent damage reduction when alone and being able to deal up to 270 magic damage isn’t all that big of a deal. Reworking the buff is one option, but then it could become a little too strong, so reducing the amount of time it takes to kill the Herald may make it more of an attractive target, especially if a jungler can easily solo it once the 15 minute mark hits.
Tanks
It seems like tanks are the pet hate of a lot of the world’s best players. While every other suggestion got one vote, tanks come in late in the day with three quick votes to become the most popular option. Interestingly we have a carry, jungler and top laner suggesting the change, so it clearly isn’t just an issue for one position. Tanks force people to build in certain ways, and can often result in fights that last forever, which can lead to frustrating situations for the players and some pretty mundane fights for the spectators. Without removing them entirely, making them a little less effective could be a good shout and would shake up the meta a lot. If teams rarely picked a tank for the remainder of the season we don’t think anyone would be too disappointed.
So there you have it, while the Rift Herald, Drakes, Barrier and even bushes got some mentions from the pros, the thing that they would most like to be changed are tanks, with some suggesting they should just be outright removed from the game. It seems a little harsh to us, but it sure would make for some crazy and entertaining matches.
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