Why is League of Legends Struggling with Champion Diversity in Esports?
If you’re a fan of the League of Legends esports scene, you’ve probably noticed that the same 30-40 champions are consistently being played each season. But why is this happening? A League player may have found the answer.
In a recent Reddit post, a player compared the pro play scenes of League of Legends and Dota 2 and noticed a pattern. They highlighted the lack of champion diversity in League compared to the versatility of Dota 2.
The player’s speculation is that League champions are not as “unique and specialized” as Dota 2 champions, who serve specific purposes in the game.
Take Azir, for example. This champion has consistently dominated pro play because of its versatility. Azir has a strong laning phase, scales well, possesses strong setup and crowd control, and deals incredible DPS output—a dream champion in every aspect.
Other champions like Zeri, Aphelios, LeBlanc, Gnar, Aatrox, Orianna, Gragas, and Hecarim also fall into this category. They have well-rounded kits with minimal flaws, making them consistently present in pro play.
On the other hand, highly specialized champs like Heimerdinger, Teemo, and Shaco rarely see the spotlight in League because they excel in only one aspect of the game. Teemo relies on aggression and baiting enemies with his mushrooms, while Heimerdinger focuses on playing around his turrets.
New champion releases like Nafiiri and Nilah also lack uniqueness, as they can do everything—high DPS, sustain, catch up with enemies, and scale well into the late game.
Rebalancing the entire game around versatility may be a challenging task currently, but it should be Riot’s next step. Many players want to see their favorite champions succeed rather than having an influx of new champions.
League of Legends, esports, champion diversity, Dota 2, versatile champions