Massive Yasuo Buff Coming in Patch 8.16
A significant Yasuo buff is set to be included in Patch 8.16, according to the latest PBE update.
This buff is likely to generate some controversy, as Yasuo is one of the most polarizing champions in League of Legends.
You’re either one of those players who instantly chooses him in solo queue and says things like “You’re all silver trash, just don’t feed and I’ll carry xD,” only to feed uncontrollably. Or you’re one of the players who despises Yasuo because of those first people.
The players who feel this way about Yasuo will be furious that he’s receiving such a significant buff. It means more people on their team will attempt (and fail) to play him, and the enemy team will pick him more frequently as well.
The buff increases the bonus AD scaling on Yasuo’s ultimate to 250 percent, which is 100 percent higher than the current live version. This change is as problematic as it sounds. With a nearly complete build including an Infinity Edge, Phantom Dancer, Bloodthirster, Greaves, and Guardian Angel, Yasuo’s ultimate alone now deals over 850 damage.
That’s quite scary, especially considering his ultimate isn’t the main part of his all-in combo. When combined with a basic attack weaved in between each Q, an additional one before and after the ult lands, and a dash, his combo can now deal a total of about 4,700 damage. That’s concerning.
However, did Yasuo actually need this buff? We don’t believe so. Although his solo queue success rate is quite low, he has seen more playtime than expected in professional matches so far this split. His lack of success in solo queue isn’t surprising either, given how many people still play him. And, as expected, more people play him at the Silver and Bronze levels than anywhere else.
While we aren’t opposed to a Yasuo buff, considering his underwhelming performance in solo queue, this buff feels excessive and doesn’t address his current weaknesses. A buff to his Wind Wall, either in duration or cooldown, would have been more beneficial in dealing with the mage bot lanes and mid laners that are popular in the current meta. That’s where we believe he’s struggling, not in terms of damage output.
This buff is scheduled to go live with Patch 8.16 next week.
Update August 8, 2:30pm CT: This buff has been removed from the PBE in the latest update. It may be reintroduced for testing in the future.
Yasuo, buff, Patch 8.16, League of Legends, ultimate, damage, Wind Wall, solo queue, PBE update