Garen, widely considered the easiest champion in League of Legends, has recently been chosen by a professional team in Korea, one of the most competitive regions in the world.
League of Legends has many champions, each offering unique playstyles and abilities that can drastically change how the game is played. Whether you want to play as a tank, mage, assassins, there’s a champion that suits every player’s preference.
However, not all are created equal, and their effectiveness often varies based on the current meta. This balance becomes even more crucial at the professional level, where players must choose champions that offer the best chance of securing a victory.
Typically, professional players opt for champions with high skill ceilings and strong outplay potential, sticking to those that are either meta favorites or ones they are exceptionally skilled with. But as the Korean team Gen.G recently demonstrated, a champion’s difficulty level doesn’t necessarily correlate with their power or effectiveness in a match.
During the 2024 Summer Playoffs for the LCK, Gen.G surprised many by selecting Garen not just once, but twice in their series against Dplus KIA. This choice was unconventional, as Garen is rarely seen in high-level play due to his straightforward mechanics.
However, Gen.G utilized Garen effectively, with both Chovy and Kiin taking turns to play him, flexing the champion between the mid and top lanes. This strategy made it challenging for Dplus KIA to counter-pick during champion selection.
In the first game, Garen faced off against Showmaker’s unexpected mid-lane Nasus pick, with Chovy finishing the game with a solid 5/3/5 scoreline. This match also produced a viral clip showcasing Chovy’s skillful play as he defeated Kingen’s Olaf in a memorable moment. In the second game, Garen was played in the top lane once again against Nasus, with Kiin ending the match with a 3/3/7 score as Gen.G secured a decisive 3-0 victory in the series.
With an impressive 100% win rate in these two games, Garen has made a significant impact in the LCK, showing that even the most straightforward champions can be effective in the right hands.
As teams continually search for new strategies and unexpected picks to gain an edge over their opponents, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the might of Demacia’s favorite warrior making more appearances in the near future.