People aren’t happy about these possible Akali nerfs

Despite all of the new mechanics and champions introduced into the game since her reworked release in 2018, fewer League of Legends champions have as controversial a relationship with the balance team as Akali.

Since her rework hit the live servers on Patch 8.15, she’s had a total of nine nerfs, some of which involved gutting unique mechanics from her kit. Now, to kick off  the second major patch of 2020, right is looking to nerf her once again.

Lead gameplay designer Mark “Scruffy” Yetter dropped a bombshell on January 16: early-stage concepts for a multitude of nerfs to Akali’s strength. The nerfs would touch on her Twilight Shroud (W) and Perfect Execution (R1/R2) with a goal of reducing her overall slipperiness.

In these changes, whenever Akali becomes immobile while she’s inside of her active W, she’s revealed in her shroud for the duration. The movement speed bonus she gains while her W is active was also changed to a decaying buff lasting only two seconds.

The most drastic change was to her ultimate. The change list proposes turning her R1 into a targeted ability usable on champions only, and idea that Riot has entertained in the past and ultimately abandoned. On top of that, the overall range was reduced and the speed on her R2 was nearly cut in half. 

Despite the general hatred for Akali amongst the League community, these changes drew some unexpected negative reactions from high elo players and pros alike. 

The changes are slated to hit the PBE for testing in the 10.3 PBE cycle. Riot Scruffy stated that they’ll be live on the PBE for a longer time than usual in order to maximize the amount of time people spend trying them out.

 

Image via Riot Games