Is League of Legends Balanced?
Many players have been discussing the balance of League of Legends recently, prompting us to take a closer look at whether the game is truly balanced. While there are several factors that contribute to balance, one of the most important indicators is champion diversity.
World Championship
Let’s start with the World Championship, which is a significant event in the League of Legends competitive scene. In Season 2, 58 out of 102 champions were picked in 31 games. In Season 3, 62 out of 116 champions were picked in 63 games, and in Season 4, 61 out of 120 champions were picked in 78 games. These statistics raise concerns when we see that the percentage of picked or banned champions has been decreasing with each Championship. In Season 2, 56.9% of champions were picked or banned, compared to 53.4% in Season 3 and 50.8% in Season 4. Additionally, the majority of picks and bans in Season 4 went to the top 29 champions, accounting for 90% of the total. This lack of diversity is troubling and needs to be addressed.
EU and NA LCS
Turning our attention to the European and North American League of Legends Championship Series (LCS), we see a similar trend. In the NA spring season playoffs of Season 3, only 47 out of 111 champions were used in 20 games. In EU, 42 out of 111 champions were used in 15 games. The number of champions used decreased even further in the EU summer playoffs, with only 41 out of 113 champions being used in 19 games. This pattern continued in the NA summer playoffs of Season 4, with 37 out of 116 champions used in 29 games, and in EU, 44 out of 116 champions used in 26 games.
Dota 2 Comparison
Comparing League of Legends to Dota 2, we see a stark difference in champion diversity. In the 2014 International, the Dota 2 World Championship equivalent, 100 out of 110 heroes were picked or banned in 255 games. Despite both games having a similar number of games played, the number of champions used is much higher in Dota 2. This discrepancy is concerning and highlights the need for improvement in champion diversity in League of Legends.
Some argue that it’s impossible to achieve perfect balance where every champion is competitively viable, but that doesn’t mean we should settle for the current state. Riot Games, the developers of League of Legends, have shown in previous seasons that they can achieve better champion diversity. The current downwards trend in balance needs to be addressed to ensure a healthier competitive scene in the game.
League of Legends, balance, champion diversity, World Championship, LCS, Dota 2