Varus: The Overpowered Champion Dominating the League of Legends Meta
League of Legends has always had its fair share of overpowered champions, and in the current meta, Varus reigns supreme. This ranged marksman has become a force to be reckoned with and is consistently banned across professional matches. In fact, in the first four and a half weeks of the 2020 LPL Summer Split, Varus has been banned in all 131 games, making him the most highly contested champion. The closest competitor, Aphelios, has only been banned 91 times and played 19.
Varus’ Rise to Power
In the previous Spring Split, Varus was already a popular pick in the bottom lane. LPL teams favored him, selecting him a total of 149 times, making him the second-most picked champion in the league, only behind Miss Fortune.
However, Varus has become an even bigger target in the LPL and beyond in the Summer Split. Despite best-of-three matches in the LCK and LPL, Varus has still managed to be picked nine times and banned a staggering 240 times across the four major regional leagues. This shows how teams are desperate to keep Varus out of their opponents’ hands.
Dominance and Exceptions
The extent of Varus’ dominance is evident in the stats. In the LCS, Cody Sun of 100 Thieves became the only player to actually play Varus this split, as he was banned in the other 29 games. The LCK has been similarly cautious, with Varus being played only three times and banned in the other 51 games.
Interestingly, the LEC is the only major league where Varus has not been picked or banned in a game. In one matchup, Fnatic and MAD Lions opted to completely ignore Varus, featuring a unique bot lane matchup of different champions.
Riot’s Response
With the overwhelming number of bans targeting Varus, Riot has taken notice and plans to nerf the champion in Patch 10.14. Specifically, they will be targeting Varus’ Q ability’s maximum damage, AD ratio, minimum damage, and his E ability’s base damage. This adjustment aims to balance his power and make the game more fair and competitive.
Varus, League of Legends, esports, LPL Summer Split, banned champions.