Riot Plans to Expand Champion Pool for Jungle in League of Legends Patch 10.5
The developers at Riot are determined to increase the number of viable champions for the jungle role in the upcoming Patch 10.5 of League of Legends.
In a recent update, League’s lead gameplay designer Mark “Scruffy” Yetter unveiled the changes that will be introduced in Patch 10.5. This includes making unconventional picks like Poppy and Brand more suitable for jungle play. Additionally, champions like Darius and Mordekaiser, who were previously adjusted for jungle gameplay in Patch 10.4, will receive further buffs.
While specific details of the changes have not been disclosed, it is expected that the targeted champions will receive enhancements to improve their jungle clearing abilities.
With this initiative, Riot aims to encourage beginner players to embrace the jungle role, which is typically less popular among low-ranked players. By introducing well-known champions to the jungle, the hope is that more players will be attracted to play this role.
However, the changes introduced in Patch 10.4 did not result in any standout jungle champions. According to Champion.gg, Garen, Darius, Mordekaiser, Talon, Zed, and Gnar all have below-average win rates in the jungle. Among them, Zed has the lowest win rate at 35%, while Mordekaiser has the highest at 49%.
These win rates may change as players experiment with optimal builds and jungle paths, or if further buffs are implemented. Currently, however, the impact of the changes has been underwhelming.
Update Feb. 25 3:45pm CT: Scruffy stated on Twitter that Brand’s changes will be postponed to Patch 10.6 for more nuanced adjustments.