Early Season Retrospective

We set out in preseason to make assassins fairer to play against, siphoning some of their insta-burst strength into skills such as mobility and target selection. Rengar and LeBlanc posed special challenges we’re still working through, but for much of the roster, their mid- and late-game impact is no longer dictated solely by a few early kills (or deaths). Item-wise, some of our Lethality changes launched weaker than anticipated, but when we followed up with buffs to all Lethality items, their users dominated the meta. We’ve since found a sustainable middle ground.

Then there’s the jungle. We updated Smite and the monster camps so junglers could choose a clearing path that matches their playstyle (ex. single-target vs. AoE). This gave the jungle role too much early-game influence, but we’ve since dialed these adjustments back and are happy with where things have settled. Preseason also introduced plants to the jungle, and after some quick usability improvements, they’ve become a regular element of Summoner’s Rift gameplay. With a small adjustment to Honeyfruit’s spawn time in place, plants are offering dynamic moments in the jungle without overly warping matches.

Beyond preseason, League’s roster has gained some new and updated faces. Warwick and Galio got makeovers, Camille dove onto the Rift, and Xayah and Rakan will soon mark our first true dual-champion release. We’ve also shipped smaller ability updates to Alistar, Shyvana, Aatrox and Cho’Gath, creating smoother experiences and healthier gameplay.

Last topic: marksmen. With junglers, assassins, and tanks (Courage of the Colossus) all coming to the fore, marksmen have struggled through the roughest meta they’ve faced in ages. We tackled these factors individually by reducing early jungle pressure, reining in assassins and Lethality, and narrowing Colossus’s focus. Toss in a few targeted improvements like the Warlord’s Bloodlust update, and we’re finally emerging from the woods.

With the first half of 2017 in the rear-view mirror, what's in store this midseason?