League of Legends Patch 13.10, which released on May 18, served as a major step toward balancing a handful of roles at once thanks to the addition of new items, and though a few new picks have arisen as a result of this in solo queue, pro play still looks the same.
The LPL is the first major region to have begun its Summer Split, and in just four days, it’s become very clear that the meta has barely shifted from what dominated throughout the Spring Split internationally and at MSI. If anything, the changes to a myriad of items have made many champions even more powerful—particularly so in coordinated play, where their strengths can be capitalized upon.
As of the first week of the LPL Summer Split, both Aphelios and K’Sante sport 100-percent pick/ban rates, joined at that percentage only by League’s most recent champion Milio, who has not been playable on stage until this point. K’Sante continues to be flexed to both the top and mid lanes due not only to his innate tankiness, but his one-vs-one potential after unlocking his ultimate that ensures he fits multiple roles at once.
Compared to other regions, Aphelios was not an omnipresent champion in the LPL’s Spring Split, with that spot having been contested by both Zeri and Lucian. However, a massive overhaul to marksman itemization has provided the ADC champion a considerable boost to his early-game power—mostly in the form of an early-purchased newly-buffed Stormrazor—that gives this hyperscaling champion even more tools to snowball quickly.
Following close behind this group are Vi, Zeri, Lulu, Ahri, and Neeko, who recently had a midscope update that makes her an even trickier foe than before. Zeri and Lulu remain a dominant line, especially with Zeri’s new build path with Trinity Force, though the ever-popular duo of her with Yuumi has made its return thanks to the latter champion once again being enabled in pro play.
Patch 13.11 launched today and will likely take over as the primary patch for the LPL next week, though notably none of these champions have been nerfed whatsoever. Should other regions exhibit similar gameplay trends that the LPL has showcased over the past week, it is more than likely that some or all of these champions will receive changes of some kind in the near future.
The LPL is currently the only major region currently playing its Summer Season, with both the LEC and LCK expected to follow next week. Recent controversies regarding the state of the North American Challengers League (NACL) have led Riot to delay the start of the LCS by two weeks—with the possibility of complete cancellation also in the cards.
As of now, it’s more than likely that the other major regions will contest the likes of Zeri, Lulu, Aphelios, K’Sante, and Milio when their splits begin in the coming weeks. The LPL will continue its first week of the 2023 Summer Split tomorrow with three series featured on the broadcast.
