LoL devs admit mistake in hotfixing Aurelion Sol
In League of Legends, the recent adjustments to Aurelion Sol have stirred a discussion among both players and developers, shedding light on the complexities of balancing a champion deeply intertwined with the game’s lore and mechanics.
Addressing the intricacies of Aurelion Sol’s journey, a prominent League of Legends developer acknowledged that the recent changes may have been a mistake, inadvertently elevating the champion to a slightly stronger state than intended.
Aurelion Sol’s evolution within the game has been a turbulent one, characterized by shifts in play rates and power dynamics. Initially struggling with a clunky kit and muted power dynamics, Aurelion Sol’s rework aimed to invigorate his gameplay, granting him newfound mobility and scaling potential.
However, this also brought forth challenges in balancing the champion, as his enhanced capabilities posed a delicate balancing act for developers.
The recent adjustments, particularly the significant boost to the stacks acquired through Aurelion Sol’s Q ability, propelled the champion to unforeseen heights, necessitating an immediate hotfix to rectify the unintended power surge.
Reflecting on these changes, lead game designer Riot Phroxzon acknowledged the oversight, attributing the imbalance to underestimating the impact of specific buffs, notably the enhancement to Aurelion Sol’s W ability.
The underlying intention behind the adjustments was to reward Aurelion Sol players for proactive play in the lane, yet the unintended consequence of augmenting his fragging power from W instead of enhancing his scaling fantasy led to unsatisfactory gameplay experiences.
Beyond Aurelion Sol, Riot Phroxzon hinted at ongoing scrutiny of other champions, including bot lane Maokai, whose efficacy surged with the introduction of new support items, along with Illaoi and Wukong in the top lane.