The Unconventional Picks Shaking Up the League of Legends Meta
Last month, if someone claimed that Vladimir and Yasuo would be played as bot lanes, Mordekaiser would be mid, and Aatrox and Mundo would make appearances in professional League of Legends games, you might have thought they were lying.
But as unbelievable as it may sound, all of these unconventional picks were seen during the first week of the LPL Summer Split, which kicked off recently. And trust me, things only get stranger from here.
Let’s break down what you just witnessed. Yes, Yasuo was played as a bot laner, Mordekaiser took over the mid lane, and even Vladimir appeared in the bot lane. And no, this wasn’t trolling. These were serious picks that LPL teams regarded as viable in the current meta, and for the most part, they succeeded.
Aatrox was picked a couple of times, and both times, he was on the winning side with Invictus Gaming. Moreover, Invictus went all-in on the unconventional strategy of picking high-damage melee champions over traditional ADCs in the bot lane, with Yasuo proving to be effective.
JD Gaming also showcased some unusual picks, including Dr. Mundo, which turned out to be victorious. However, their other unexpected choices like mid lane Mordekaiser, bot lane Vladimir, and the debut of Pyke did not yield the same success, but the fact that they were selected is noteworthy in itself.
All of these peculiar picks highlight one undeniable truth: the current League meta is in chaos. Whether it’s solo queue players or professional teams, they can now lock in previously unseen and offbeat picks in any lane and still find success. And this trend is likely to be seen in other regions as well.
So, don’t be surprised if you’re watching the EU or NA LCS this weekend and witness more unconventional picks. This is the state of the game in the second half of season eight. Welcome to the mayhem.
League of Legends, LPL Summer Split, unconventional picks, meta, solo queue, professional teams, offbeat picks, EU LCS, NA LCS, season eight