（Feeling bad…）
If someone asks you which position in League of Legends is the weakest, over 80% of players would undoubtedly answer “ADC”. Indeed, ever since the significant price increase of marksman items in 2017, ADCs lost their shine overnight, transforming from the core carry position that should dominate the late game into the outcasts of the Rift. For a time, AP champions even became the mainstream in the bot lane.
Over the past two years, whether in solo queue or professional leagues, ADCs seem to have had a tough time. I have seen many complaints about ADCs being hard to play on various forums. In this year’s LPL Spring Split, the play space for ADCs was severely limited. Apart from Senna, who relies on her passive and support abilities, only Aphelios, Miss Fortune, Jhin, and Varus could reach competitive levels.
Riot’s designers are naturally aware of the changes in the bot lane ecosystem. After a long period of observation, they seem to genuinely intend to strengthen the bot lane.
On May 2, Riot designer Scruffy announced on his Twitter the balance approach for the upcoming versions of League of Legends. In addition to continuing to optimize the matchmaking mechanism and substitute system, they will make adjustments to the mid lane and ADC in the bot lane, with ADCs receiving comprehensive buffs while the mid lane will face nerfs.As for how exactly these changes will be implemented, although Scruffy did not directly state it, he published a more detailed article in the North American player community, mentioning the reasons for these changes.
Scruffy stated that the top lane has made significant progress compared to two seasons ago, and the jungle remains the absolute core of the team’s early game. Compared to these two positions, the mid lane and ADC are not very balanced, so some minor adjustments are needed to strengthen or weaken them.The influence of ADCs in the bot lane has slightly declined in Season 10, and Riot hopes to enhance the bot lane through reasonable methods, such as buffing certain champions, rather than simply increasing the experience gained in the bot lane.
Regarding the mid lane, although Scruffy believes that the mid lane should be the strongest in the game, the current influence of the mid lane is somewhat excessive. In his plan, the nerfs to the mid lane will not only involve adjusting numbers but will also include changes to certain “mechanics” in future patches.Although Scruffy mentioned “slight adjustments”, the mention of mechanic changes caused an uproar among foreign players, especially many mid lane players who directly expressed their concerns in the comments on Twitter. Some newer players may not be aware that the biggest nerfs in League of Legends are not just numerical but also mechanical. Champions whose mechanics have been modified over the past few years have almost all been sent to the graveyard.
For example, do you remember the once-dominant Akali? Riot did not change her numbers but simply added a requirement to her ultimate that it must target enemy champions, and this assassin champion, who had dominated the scene for nearly a year, was effectively eliminated..
Of course, the upcoming versions may not be very friendly to mid lane players, but those who focus on ADCs are finally seeing the arrival of spring. After all, Scruffy has “spoken”, and the bot lane will not be in a bad position anymore. ADCs will no longer just be tools for pushing towers, and strategies revolving around the bot lane will become more prevalent in future matches.Matches, bot lane, core! Why six words? Because five words are not…
Just kidding, many may not be familiar with Riot’s designers and think that what is said on Twitter doesn’t count. Some minor buffs cannot change the fact that ADCs are currently at the bottom of the food chain. However, as the saying goes, the first step is always the hardest. It is already a significant achievement for Riot to recognize the issues in the bot lane. If simple buffs still prove ineffective, they should continue to “care” for the bot lane. The good days for ADCs are not far away!Alright, that’s all for today. What are your thoughts on the designers’ upcoming changes? Do you think it’s reasonable to strengthen ADCs while weakening the mid lane? Feel free to leave your comments for discussion!
