League of Legends has been around for some time now, champions that were released during the early stages are now outdated and underutilised. Rito gods have actioned this by creating a Champ-Up team, a unit of individuals whose sole job is to take aging champions and modernise them. We’ve seen quite a few reworks come and go over the years, so much so that a list can be compiled of the most successful. Here’s the top 10 best reworks in League of Legends!

10. Yorick

Gone are the days of Yorick memes, for so long he was the most in need of some attention. He eventually got it, with Riot giving him a whole new depth to his ghoul summoning mechanics. He’s much less toxic to play against while retaining his power and thematic. However, his popularity has remained low and he’s seen no pro play at all. It wasn’t the worst rework but it wasn’t all too successful either.

9. Talon

Going from a nobody to a monster in both pro play and amateur level signifies a successful rework. Of course this is mostly due to the Lethality meta, Talon hasn’t seen the play he once had when Lethality was nerfed. He’s considerably more appealing to play though and more fun to play against.

8. Cassiopeia

Cassiopeia mains had been crying out for changes before her rework, accusing Riot of dumpstering their favourite snake and removing her identity. Riot responded, changing Cass’s passive to something unique, powerful and that fits her theme. Cass players have been happy ever since and she’s even seen in pro play, albeit rarely.

7. Darius

Of all the Juggernaut updates, Darius is the only one to be balanced since they were all OP. The Juggernaut updates brought about a surprisingly fun meta, although some champions were clearly out of line. Skarner was broken before being gutted, Mordekaiser the same. Garen continued to be the same ‘poor in pro play, great in low ELO’ but Darius? Darius’ update was spot on. The pentakill factory that is the Noxian warrior saw tons of pro play while dominating amateur ranked. Right now, he’s the only Juggernaut in a decent spot. He still even sees pro play every now and again.

6. Gangplank

The Bilgewater event that saw Gangplank be killed was amazing, a new Howling Abyss map, new skins and touch ups to a number of champions made it extremely memorable. The champion who came out of it with the most attention was Gangplank, the Saltwater Scourge. He became pick/ban in pro-play and dominated solo queue, he was quite overtuned to say the least. Riot gave him some changes and he’s now in a really good spot. Thematically astute, fun to play, fair to play against, this screams success.

5. Galio

Many fans were annoyed that Galio had lost his identity when his rework was teased. Personally I didn’t even know he had that many fans but their concerns may have been justified. He doesn’t resemble himself as much as the other reworks have held true to their past but he’s much better than he used to be. He now sees considerable pro play while boasting a good pick-rate in amateur play. Some would argue he’s a bit overpowered but there’s no denying the rework was correct.

4. Taric

Taric has reached his most outrageous form. He was never bad balance-wise, he was actually a decent pick in solo queue. His problem was everything else, his model and skills were so ugly and his kit was just boring to play. Riot made him scale a mountain and he’s now truly, truly outrageous. Aesthetically beautiful, fun to play and great power make him a viable pick for all ranks.

3. Warwick

Although players have been having issues with the clunkiness of his Q and the hitbox of his R, Warwick’s rework was largely successful. They didn’t just change his thematic, they upgraded it. His identity has been fulfilled and Riot’s aims to make him a great Jungler for new players has been nailed. The teaser alone was enough to know this.

2. Sion

Most folks would label Sion as the best rework to date, you’ll see why he’s only 2nd later. He was the first ‘major’ redevelopment, his thematic and abilities were completely changed. His new kit oozes counterplay while being powerful if the opponents don’t respond correctly. His new thematic is unique and interesting, being an undead juggernaut warlord, how could it not be!

1. Poppy

It has to be Poppy at number 1. While Sion’s rework was close to perfection, Poppy is a great pick at all ranks, even up to pro play. Unlike Sion, her identity wasn’t changed too much, mostly just updated. She’s now an adorable tank who is refreshing to play with her animations and voice lines, while also being a powerful resource to have in a team. She’s deservedly the best rework in League of Legends history!