Why were the Naafiri nerfs removed from Patch 13.15?
Riot confirmed the nerf of Naafiri in the League of Legends Patch 13.15 preview. However, they recently declared that the nerfs was cancelled.
The newest League of Legends champion is Naafiri, The Hound of a Hundred Bites. She was added to the game on July 19, 2023, and she was hotfix nerfed not even a day after.
According to Riot, the champion was extremely powerful after her release. Her performance in the Jungle and Top Lane was acceptable, but her performance in the Mid Lane was too strong for a newly added champion.
According to League statistics LoLalytics, her win rate in the mid lane is currently at a boasting 53.01%, and 50% in higher tier. So Riot hotfix nerfed her the same day. They reduced her total damage, scaling damage, and roaming ability.
Riot has also stated that she may be nerfed in the future patch. The Naafiri nerfs were included in the Patch 13.15 preview. However, it looks that Riot has cancelled the nerfs that were scheduled for Patch 13.15.
Riot explained why Naafiri nerfs was cancelled
Riot Raptorr, the creator of Naafiri, revealed the cancellation of her nerfs in a recent Twitter tweet. Her day-6 win rate was stated as the basis for its discontinuation. Her performance has been fairly consistent, according to him.
Her win rate has also stabilised with the hotfix nerfs in Patch 13.14. In normal MMR, her Mid Lane win rate has settled between 51% and 51.5%, while her win rate in higher MMR maintains between 49% and 49.5%.
Her Jungle win rate, on the other hand, has been relatively low. Riot Raptorr responded by saying that they are presently concentrating on Mid Lane Naafiri but want to make Jungle-specific tweaks later.
However, many people have been disappointed by the cancellation because they believe the champion is simply too powerful. However, without enough time or data, it is difficult to determine if she is actually powerful or not.