Worlds 2022 kicks off on September 29. The biggest League of Legends event of the year will put the 24 best teams from around the globe to the test. Only the strongest, most prepared competitors will be able to stand atop the rest and hoist the Summoners’ Cup at the end. The signature mark of Worlds comes from the large downtime between the end of the regional Summer Split. As a result, the meta that the teams practiced for months on end to win their respective leagues will almost always be completely different come Worlds. Through scrims and ranked on the Worlds Patch, teams are rushing to find out who the OP champions at Worlds 2022 will be. Here is what they’ve found.
Images Credit Riot Games
Worlds 2022 Best Champions
Top Lane
Top is one of the roles with the most variety right now. Tons of different champions and playstyles can be played depending on the team comp and goal for the game.
The classic tanky wall of meat niche is currently fulfilled by Ornn and Maokai. There are a couple of other tank picks available, but these two have the most blind pickability and the most baseline value. In addition to their raw durability, Ornn and Maokai are great at finding engages at range and locking down targets.
Lane bullies like Jayce, Gnar, and the newly added Kennen are also very playable. Watch out for Kennen especially, as many of the teams coming over from the LPL, LCK, and other Asian regions are big proponents of his. Kennen is great at winning lane then carrying team fights with his huge AOE ultimate.
Split push stars like Fiora, Camille, and Jax are showing up as well. While none of these champions are great in the team fight, they can start fights well enough with a lead. Jax and Camille especially bring some valuable team utility that is useful no matter what.
Lastly, strong team fighters like Aatrox and Gangplank will also see play. Aatrox is the big one to look out for, since he’s seen as a decent blind pick into most matchups. With a couple items and a proper team composition backing him up, Aatrox has what it takes to be a constant pick at Worlds.
Jungle
The jungle is being dominated by Bruisers right now. Hecarim is back with a vengeance after a season at the glue factory and is one of the strongest champions at Worlds 2022, period. His combination of damage, durability, and crowd control allows the horse to trample his opponents. Expect Hecarim to potentially see more bans than picks.
Next in line are the likes of Viego and Jarvan IV. These two champs are the kings of the skirmish, bringing loads of damage and gap close ability. They deal with the later game in different ways, Viego becoming a melee carry while Jarvan defaults to tankiness. Still, they’ll both be menaces in the early game.
Tank junglers aren’t completely dead, as Sejuani and Poppy are keeping the niche alive. Poppy has fallen out of favor compared to her prevalence during the summer playoffs, but she can still be used as a counter pick. Sejuani is much safer are provides consistent crowd control and front line.
Two of the flashier picks that will likely see play are Lee Sin and Bel’Veth. Lee Sin is the same as always: a strong early game fighter that falls off a cliff, but can win the game with one press of the R key. Bel’Veth is an interesting new entry to the jungle meta. She does need to farm more than usual for a jungler, but rewards her team with damage, utility, and chase potential.
Also, watch out for Karthus. He’s lurking around waiting for his moment to strike.
With Hecarim hitting the ban list often, Viego will be a go to for many junglers at Worlds. (Image Credit Riot Games)
Mid Lane
Mid lane is currently skewed towards Mages. Taliyah is one of the most popular picks after her update settled. She is able to clear waves, chunk squishies, and control terrain better than anyone else. Also, Weaver’s Wall is way more broken in pro play than you’ll ever see in solo queue.
Not far behind are Viktor and Zoe. These two champs love to zone off your entire team while also poking you down at every opportunity. Viktor scales like a god and can easily solo win a game, while Zoe is one of the best choices to make picks and press a vision advantage.
LeBlanc is present in the meta as the only playable assassin, and with her is her constant foil in Lissandra. While Lissandra is mostly known as the LB counter pick, don’t be surprised if you see her being picked more often. Her damage is high enough that she’s not a liability, and guaranteed crowd control is in high demand.
If you’re looking for aggressive melee picks, Akali and Sylas are your champs. Both champs have playable matchups in mid and do well without needing too much attention. Sylas is more of a response to teams with high impact ultimates, while Akali can dish out big damage against teams that can’t lock her down.
Lastly, the dive pair of Vex and Galio might see some play. Neither champ will win the game on their own, but they bring so much utility and global pressure that pros would be remiss to forget about them.
Bot Lane
On to bot lane, where variety goes to die. The big three ADC picks that will dominate the entire tournament are Miss Fortune, Caitlyn, and Ashe. All of these Marksmen (Markswomen?) have tons of range and lane prowess. Playing anything other than these three against one will not be a pretty sight.
MF is the team fight queen, bringing a huge AOE ultimate that will one shot anyone forced to stand in it. On top of that, her Double Up burst gameplay combined with all that Strut movement speed makes her an annoying threat to deal with.
Caitlyn wins fights less through explosiveness and more through control. If played properly, no one can touch a Caitlyn utilizing her range and abilities to the fullest. Her traps are also great for chaining crowd control or zoning off an entire choke.
Ashe is the same old Ashe. Her constant slows are always a boon, Hawkshot provides the easiest vision in the game, and Enchanted Crystal Arrow is great for starting fights and making picks. Ashe’s base value is so high, and her build allows her to dish out some notable damage.
Since one or more of these champs are likely to be banned, ADC players are practicing some other options. Kalista and Draven are still viable, even if they have fallen from their thrones during summer. Without those pesky 600+ range champions in their way, these two lane bullies can still warp the game around them.
If scaling is what a team wants to play around, Aphelios is the go-to. Mr. 200 Years still has some tricks up his sleeve, able to carry team fights if he can get peeled for. Varus will also likely see some play. His ultimate is a slightly different version of Ashe’s in terms of usage, and he deals decent enough damage.
The Frost Archer is back on the cards after her recent round of buffs. Will we see another PraY arrow play this Worlds? (Image Credit Riot Games)
Support
Support is honestly in its most versatile state at a Worlds tournament than it has been in years. Enchanters still hold some priority even after nerfs. Soraka is likely the best one in terms of carry potential, and Karma is finding her way back into the meta as a lane bully assistant and team fight enabler.
Renata Glasc brings a very interesting side of Enchanters. Her counter-engage focused gameplay is great for peeling a backline of Mages and Marksmen while also being very threatening at objective fights. Yuumi and Lulu still exist, but they’ll be limited to only hyper carry pairings like Aphelios or the odd Zeri.
With the prominence of picks like Miss Fortune and Caitlyn, engage tanks are back on the menu in bot lane. Everyone’s favorite scuba diver Nautilus is back, as is Leona. These two champs excel at locking down one target for an extended period of time. One wrong step, and Naut or Leona will be starting team fights as fast as their team can end them.
Amumu is another pick that will be seen in Support. His double Bandage Toss can also keep an enemy crowd controlled for a while, and his ultimate is fantastic at starting a team fight.
For picks that can protect as well as attack, Rakan, Thresh, and Tahm Kench are your guys. All of these champions have very valuable defensive utility, but can also extend crowd control chains and make a pick play work out. Since they don’t really function as true front line like the engage tanks, they’ll require a much more specific team composition to come out.
That was our list of champions to watch for at Worlds 2022! For all the latest coverage of Worlds 2022, stay tuned here at Hotspawn.
