- Patch 13.10 changed a lot of Yasuo’s core items
- This has not resulted in his win rate getting better
- Despite that, he has become the most picked midlaner in the game
Yasuo is the most picked and most banned midlaner in LoL’s current iteration, despite not even having a 49% win rate.
Yasuo Is a Paradox
Big League of Legends updates change a lot of things, including the game’s meta and subsequently the pick rates of different champions. LoL’s Patch 13.10 is no exception to that, with the update changing many mythic and legendary items, as well as giving small adjustments to a multitude of characters.
Since the patch was released a couple of weeks ago, Yasuo has become the most picked mid-lane champion and one of the most banned mid-lane champions, following the shift of the game’s meta. However, what’s interesting is that despite the large play rate, the champion has had a less-than-average performance on the Rift.
With a win rate of 48.52% across all ranks according to U.GG, Yasuo seems to be struggling somewhat in the newest League patch, but that does not hinder him to be the most popular mid-lane champion. Part of the reason for his popularity could be because he is one of the most fun and flashy champions to play.
Yasuo has a skillset that’s relatively easy to understand, yet he still has a few combos that a player needs to learn, so it takes time for him to be mastered. He’s also quite easy to zip in and out of fights with, making him a good choice for players who do not want to be punished for making a mistake.
Meanwhile, if you’re the one playing against Yasuo, you would not be having fun. He is fast, can escape attacks, and his Wind Wall (W) can block your attacks, which can be incredibly frustrating. There’s a negative stigma around Yasuo mains, which further plays in the champion topping the banned list for mid-laners.
It’s interesting to note that players seem to be building Yasuo the same way as before, namely Lethal Tempo, Triumph, Legend: Alacrity, and Last Stand, along with Second Wind, Unflinching, Offense, Flex, and magic resist Defense. Some other builds, like the One-Gut Yasuo, are also popular, although they are harder to pull off.
Another reason why fans are choosing Yasuo, is his reworked Galeforce, Bloodthirster, and Phantom Dancer, three of Yasuo’s current core items. Despite that, the champion’s win rate is still low, with fans likely still choosing him because they think his reworked items would have made him stronger.
Patch 13.10 didn’t turn out to be the win-rate boosting patch for Yasuo that he needed, but it seems fans still hope that his reworked item would make him more viable