The 2021 Champion Update Poll is now live. Players can choose one of five champions for a Visual and Gameplay Update. Let’s take a look at the candidates.
Riot Games has once again given the opportunity to its player to decide which outdated character in their roster should be brought into the modern era. The last poll was held in 2019 and saw Volibear and Fiddlesticks emerge as victors, both would then go on to receive their updates over the course of 2020.
Now the poll returns once again with some returning faces as well as some new ones. So let’s rundown the contestants vying for a new look.
Udyr
Udyr’s kit is an interesting one, all his abilities modify his auto attacks to perform different functions. Channeling different animals to bolster his defence, stun his opponents, increase his attack speeed or gain wave clear. However the kit is most certainly dated, whilst this would have been considered overloaded in the games infancy, power creep has done its best to leave the kit in a rather state. The community is often quick to point out how unkind the passage of time has been to him whenever a new champion with a fresh mechanic is unveiled. Riot’s plan if Udyr is picked is to make all his forms feel impactful regardless of their individual power.
Shyvana
Shyvana was part of the 2019 poll where she was the third choice for the rework and therefore barely missed the chance at that time, so maybe this poll will end more in her favor. Compared to some of the other champions on this list her visuals and kit quality are of a higher standard but she isn’t quite delivering on her thematic of a warrior who transforms into her dragon. The developers hope to make her human and dragon forms to feel distinct from one another while also making the dragon form feel more powerful and destructive.
Nocturne
Nocturne was another participant in the 2019 poll so clearly Riot games feels his kit might need some help as well. According to their data, Nocturne is popular with newer players but that interest isn’t maintained and they often move on from him. His rework would involve an attempt to capture the feeling of facing a living nightmare that leaves his opponents in total darkness. The plan would be to keep his iconic ultimate whilst updating his base kit to better fit the theme of his character.
Skarner
As the last of his kind Skarner’s lore paints him as one of League loneliest champions. The same is reflected in game as he one of the games least popular picks. Despite attempts to rework him in the past, his playrate has never drastically increased. Should he receive a rework it will be a full one on the level of Sion and Urgot in the past where he not only receives new visuals and kit but also a new theme and backstory. The only thing which may survive is his ultimate’s ability to kidnap enemies but everything else would most likely not survive.
Quinn
Quinn has also received a rework in the past and it did result in an increased playrate for a number of patches. However much like Shyvana she doesn’t deliver on her promised thematics of a ranger and her war hawk working in sync to take down their foes. At the moment Valor serves as more of an occasional projectile and taxi service rather than her partner. Should she be reworked the kit would be made to emphasize the pair’s ability to work together. Riot also wants to open up her to be flexible in where her kit lands her.
Takeaways
These champion update polls are good for the community as they allow for the developers to know which specific champions require some extra love from the company. Champion reworks often match the hype of new champion releases and in majority of cases truly have allowed for new players to become mains. You have until 11:59 PT on January 19th to cast your vote for the 2021 champion update in client and votes cannot be changed after submission.
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