With the single most important League of Legends event of the year kicking off very soon and the teams gearing up for the tournament, it’s time to look at the most important picks and bans that we might see during the competition. We will be basing ourselves on the patch preview Riot has put on the PBE so far.
Worlds 2022 will be played on Patch 12.18 throughout the whole tournament. It won’t be like MSI, where they used two different patches for the different stages. In addition, Udyr will be disabled entirely since his rework was introduced later than what the rules allowed.
With this in mind, we will go through some of the most important changes in the upcoming patch and predict which champions, for every role, will rise in priority over the course of Worlds 2022. Stats will be primarily based on the latest competitive patch by the major regions, which is patch 12.15 (LCK, LEC, LCS and LPL). Without further ado, let’s jump right into it!
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Jungle meta changes
The Jungle meta has had major changes for the Worlds patch. Riot buffed Hecarim again in 12.17, making him from useless to OP territory once again. They’re aiming to nerf him a little in 12.18, but he will surely be back as a pick or ban champion. Together with him, Riot also pushed Lee Sin, making him durable in the later stages. The blind monk is one of the most popular picks in the east, so expect him with a higher presence (currently 7%).
There’s one more champion that we could be seeing a lot, and that’s Nocturne. Riot buffed him in the latest patch and he also has the advantage of being flexed in mid lane. It’s highly situational, but with how important roams are in the early-mid game, Nocturne can be the secret pick for upsets.
New ADC picks
Riot nerfed both Zeri, Sivir, Kalista, as well as the Lucian-Nami combo in the most recent patches. The four were the most present champions during all playoffs, with Zeri hitting an absurd 89% pick or ban rate. (Kalista 81%, Sivir 69% and Lucian 59%)
While we haven’t seen the impact of those changes in competitive, the general sentiment is that all of them have been hit hard. As a result, we are seeing new picks rising in priority, one of which is Miss Fortune. She received a buff in patch 12.17 and despite the expected adjustment for the Worlds patch, she should be a power pick.
Kalista is set to be nerfed in the upcoming patch and things don’t seem good for her: with how the meta is shifting towards bully lanes and poke lanes, she will suffer more. Aside from her, Draven and Twitch have been two relevant picks and will continue to be among the top picks.
We can expect Caitlyn to make a few appearances, as we’ve seen her picked twice, both by Rogue in the LEC playoff. It will be a very different meta than what we’ve seen in the bot lane all season long: each team will bring their own ideals at Worlds, adding even more complexity and excitement.These are some of the expected Worlds Picks and Bans. With the tournament being right around the corner, make sure to check out our League of Legends betting page where you can find all the best betting sign up offers and free bets available.
