Volibear’s long period of underperformance may finally come to an end in Patch 8.4, as revealed in the latest PBE update.
Volibear has been struggling for quite some time. While some champions like Ivern and Nunu have suffered due to the new rune system, Volibear has been experiencing issues for the past two seasons. It’s about time that something is being done to address this. However, it remains to be seen if these changes will be enough.
The most significant change to Volibear’s kit is the addition of a knockback mechanic to his E ability, Majestic Roar. This crowd control effect will make ganks more impactful and clearing camps slightly safer. Additionally, it will provide extra burst damage if used on an airborne or mid-dash enemy. Importantly, this bonus damage does not come at the expense of the ability’s base damage.
Furthermore, there are several other buffs to Volibear’s abilities.
His Q ability, Rolling Thunder, will now grant more movement speed, scaling with level instead of ability rank. This allows his ganks to scale without requiring early investment in this ability. When Volibear is running toward an enemy, the movement speed boost remains twice as strong as before, now reaching a maximum of 60 percent instead of 50.
Another small buff is the addition of the cooldown refund mechanic from his W ability for jungle monsters to minions as well. This makes laning with Volibear slightly more viable, although it may not be as effective as his jungle playstyle.
These changes are all buffs to Volibear’s affected abilities. However, they may not completely solve his issues. Volibear is a movement speed-based jungler who needs to get up close and personal to deal damage. Other junglers with similar challenges, like Skarner, Dr. Mundo, and Trundle, have ways to hinder the enemy before reaching them. This allows them to slow down targets that would otherwise kite them, giving them a chance to catch up.
Unlike those champions, Volibear lacks a means to slow down an enemy unless he is within range for his E ability, which has a very short range. This makes it easy for his potential victims to kite him effectively, often forcing Volibear to use item actives or Summoner Spells to close the gap.
As a result, even with the changes coming in Patch 8.4, it is unlikely that Volibear will see much playtime, especially at higher levels of play where players excel at kiting.