The League of Legends Summer Split is coming to an end. What does that mean? Well, that we're just one step closer to the 2021 World Championship in China. Sadly, Akshan and Vex won't be making their appearance at the 2021 World Championships. Riot announced that the newest champions will be deactivated for the event.
- Want to know which cities the 2021 World Championships are taking place? We have all the information for you right here.
Akshan just got added to League of Legends, while Vex hasn't even had her chance to show us what she's got, but one thing is already certain: neither of them will be seen on the 2021 Worlds stage. Maximilian Peter Schmidt, Head of Esports for LoL in Europe and MENA, explained on Twitter why this decision was made:
These decisions are obviously always done in working closely together with the Gameplay team.And if a Champion only gets limited exposure in pro play that makes balancing significantly harder of course - which is part of the reason the old rule existed in the first place.
— Maximilian Peter Schmidt (@RiotMAXtheX) August 1, 2021
Akshan will be Disabled at LoL Worlds 2021
The gameplay team hasn't had a chance to really test out Akshan in pro play, which means it's hard for them to balance the champion accordingly. Since regional leagues also have the champion disabled, since they're currently playing on his release patch, even less data is given to the gameplay team to evaluate Akshan's strength.
#LEC Update:As per @LEC rules Akshan will be disabled for Playoffs - as he is being released on the Playoffs patch.We asked all teams if they wanted this to change given Akshan will be available at Worlds - which the vast majority of teams declined. pic.twitter.com/S5X2jPnv5i
— Maximilian Peter Schmidt (@RiotMAXtheX) July 29, 2021
Because of this, it was decided that Akshan won't be making his way onto Summoner's Rift in China. The balancing team isn't sure just how the champion would influence the pro scene and therefore, Akshan will be deactivated at Worlds 2021.
- Even with these terrible Solo Queue numbers, Riot is being careful when it comes to buffing Akshan.
Tom Martell, Director of League Operations, has now provided more clarity with a statement on Twitter. For champions released shortly before Worlds, the rule is that they must be enabled in all 4 top regions (LCS, LEC, LPL, LCK) to be eligible for Worlds participation.
With the LCS and LEC teams opting out of Akshan in competetive play, The Rogue Sentinel won't shine in pro play this time. The tweet goes on to say that this is how the rule will be applied for Worlds 2021. However, it will be reviewed in the course of the next season and revised if necessary.#Worlds2021 Update from @tommartell pic.twitter.com/cShVj5pmM7
— LoL Esports (@lolesports) August 4, 2021
Vex will Also be Disabled at LoL Worlds 2021
There is no official statement from Riot regarding the upcoming mid lane mage, but her release date is set for September, which makes her release even closer to the start of the 2021 World Championship. Therefore, she will also not be seeing the light of day on the Worlds stage. Vex will also be banned from competition.
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The good thing? Since the pros can't pick her, fanboys and fangirls won't copy their favorite players and pick them either. This means you've got free reign over these two new mid laners if you want. So, have fun playing them in Solo Queue. They're only banned from playoffs and Worlds, so you've got nothing to worry about.
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