Skarner’s 4th nerfs in a row following his rework
Skarner’s journey in League of Legends since his rework in Patch 14.7 has been full of ups and downs. He’s gone through three more changes since then, and he’s about to face another nerf in Patch 14.9, which is launching on May 1st.
After his rework, Skarner, known as the Primordial Sovereign, was considered too strong and got nerfed in Patch 14.8 and then again in a hotfix for Patch 14.8 on April 18th. Riot Phroxzon, in charge of balancing the game, confirmed on Twitter on April 22nd that Skarner is getting nerfed again.
When a champion like him is reworked in League of Legends, they can either become too powerful or too weak. In his case, his win rates were low after his rework in Patch 14.7. The only positive was his updated appearance, which included new emotes and even started a meme called Crab Rave.
You might wonder why Skarner is still struggling even after multiple nerfs and changes. It’s because skilled players have figured out how to play him optimally, especially in the jungle with certain items. Once he reaches level 9, he becomes very strong, and the best players are dominating with him.
Riot Phroxzon didn’t specify which abilities or stats will be nerfed, but they aim to make Skarner still viable in the jungle while also being balanced for other roles like top lane.
We’ll have to wait for the full patch details to see how much the champion will be nerfed and if it will change the jungle meta in May. Patch 14.8 coincides with the MSI 2024 tournament, so professional players will have access to him in his current strong state.