Riot Introduces Drastic Changes to Address Gold Funneling in League of Legends
In yet another surprising update for League of Legends, lead gameplay designer Andrei “Meddler” van Roon has announced a new change aimed at addressing the issue of gold funneling. This recent change, however, seems to be a bit too extreme.
This update acknowledges the need for a long-term solution to counter gold funneling. Meddler highlights the problems associated with this strategy, including the lack of interaction in certain lanes and the difficulty of balancing champions with multiple income streams. While Riot plans to implement a more balanced solution during the preseason, the urgency of the situation demands immediate action.
Therefore, Riot has decided to make drastic changes in the meantime.
Under the new rule, players who have either a tier-one or tier-two jungle item and possess the most gold on their team will receive significantly reduced gold from minion kills.
The Negative Implications of the Change
This change has several negative implications that make it a questionable decision. First, it penalizes skilled players who have accumulated gold legitimately. Junglers who have successfully invaded enemy territories or executed well-timed ganks will find their efforts wasted, as the minions they farm will become nearly worthless.
A second consequence of this change is the potential decrease in diversity among jungler picks. If being ahead as a jungler becomes a disadvantage, players will have little incentive to choose champions who are likely to be in that position. This will result in a shift back to tank and supportive junglers, drastically altering the current meta.
A Potential Compromise
As a compromise, Riot could consider a partial implementation of this change to achieve the desired effect. Instead of reducing gold income from all minions, they could focus on siege minions, which are worth around 100 gold by mid-game. This targeted adjustment might be enough to counteract gold funneling without disrupting the overall balance of the game.
Alternatively, Riot could explore other options, such as empowering and rewarding counter-jungling by buffing items like Poacher’s Dirk or nerfing the Scuttle Crab. After all, the Scuttle Crab plays a crucial role in the funnel strategy, and the jungle was functioning well before its mid-season buff.
Impending Change with Patch 8.14
Riot plans to implement this change with the upcoming Patch 8.14, which will be released next week. While it is likely that gold funneling will be significantly reduced, the cost of this change remains high.
League of Legends, gold funneling, gameplay update, Riot Games, balance, meta shift, patch 8.14.