League of Legends dev reveals why Soraka will be nerfed in future patch
Riot GamesNerfs are on the way for Soraka in an upcoming patch, according to League senior champion designer August ‘August’ Browning, after the champion dominated the top lane this weekend in pro play and solo queue.
Soraka top has taken the League world by storm over the last week as a staple pick in pro play and solo queue. After G2 Esports’ Martin ‘Wunder’ Hansen picked it in wins against Origen and Vitality, players from all regions have jumped on the bandwagon.
With strong poke, infinite sustain, and good disengage with her silence, Soraka top can navigate the early game pretty safely, before turning into a menace in the late game by keeping her carries alive.
Riot GamesHowever, as much as pros and regulars have jumped on the Soraka bandwagon, Riot have been keeping an eye on it, and are getting ready to derail it.
Riot August answered a player’s question during his February 2 stream about the future of Soraka in the top lane, and it’s looking pretty grim for The Starchild.
“What do I think about Soraka top? It’s going to have to be nerfed. Its win rate is like 56-57% [in solo queue], it’s just overpowered,” he revealed.
The Starchild has a 53.82% win rate across all ranks in the top lane according to stats site u.gg, climbing above 56% in Diamond. This is compared to her 51.92% win rate in support, which has raised some eyebrows at Riot.
“It’s not like it’s not cool,” he added, explaining it’s not Riot’s intention to kill off-meta picks. “It’s cool that characters can go in other lanes, but Soraka top — it’s like 56% win rate, it’s super-giga-powerful.”
August has spoken in the past about champs being nerfed if they aren’t fulfilling their intended role. Pyke and Senna are two examples of this recently, with the former gutted after making an appearance as a solo laner in Season 9.
The latter is also on a short leash regarding her power in AD carry and support, with August stating Riot will “prioritize support Senna over ADC” back in December.
u.ggSoraka is expected to face the same fate as Pyke top though, although what changes will be coming are yet to be decided.
“We’re gonna have to nerf it, that’s what I’m calling. We’re probably going to nerf it pretty hard, but we have to figure out how we do it, but right now it’s actually the strongest champion you can play top besides Sett.”
Given Patch 10.3 is expected to be released on February 5, it’s unlikely any changes will be able to be shipped in this current cycle. However, players should expect some changes by the time Patch 10.4 rolls around later this month.