Kindred’s Impact in the Professional Scene
Kindred, the newly released jungle champion in patch 5.20, has been dominating the professional scene in the KESPA Cup games. Despite being banned in most games, Kindred has shown great effectiveness when picked. Previously, Kindred was only seen in solo queue games played by free agent Spirit and Team Liquid’s IWillDominate. However, with the latest patches, Kindred has become a highly sought-after champion, being the most banned jungler worldwide. Kindred’s skillset is more similar to that of an AD Carry than a typical jungler, which poses interesting challenges for professional teams in incorporating Kindred into their strategies.
Najin vs. Anarchy, Game 1– Kindred, the Hard Carry
In this game, Lira showcased the power of Kindred by dominating Najin and racking up a 10-4-10 score. Lira made great use of Kindred’s abilities, particularly in a skirmish in the bot lane where he managed to turn a seemingly lost battle into a double kill for Anarchy. From there, Lira continued to utilize Kindred’s strengths and carried his team to victory.
Longzhu-IM vs. Jin Air Green Wings, Game 3– Kindred, the World’s Greatest Backup Plan
In this game, Kindred was used as a secondary threat in a “Juggermaw” composition, where the focus was on protecting the primary carry, Kog’Maw. Winged from Jin Air Green Wings played Kindred exceptionally well, taking advantage of Kindred’s range and damage to support the team. The combination of Kindred and Kog’Maw proved to be a powerful duo, enabling the team to secure a victory.
SBENU SonicBoom vs. SK Telecom, Game 3 – Kindred, another Champion SK Telecom Can Beat
In this game, SK Telecom countered Kindred effectively by choosing Gragas, a champion with the ability to displace opponents and negate Kindred’s ultimate. Flawless, playing Kindred for Sbenu, struggled to make an impact as SK Telecom constantly shut down his plays. Gragas proved to be a hard counter to Kindred in this match.
What Can We Expect in the Future?
Kindred is likely to be a highly contested pick/ban champion in upcoming matches. Teams will need to make strategic decisions on whether to prioritize Kindred or other strong picks like Gragas. Juggermaw compositions with Kindred as the jungle carry and Lulu supporting the primary carry will likely become more prevalent. However, it remains to be seen how teams will adapt and counter the Kindred pick in future games.
Kindred, professional scene, KESPA Cup, jungle champion, AD Carry, “Juggermaw” composition, pick/ban, Gragas, Lulu, SK Telecom, future expectations