Riot’s Phroxzon Says Worlds 2026 Meta “Mildly Successful” Amid Blind‑Pick Dominance and Bot‑Lane Power‑Ups

Patch changes fell short of a meta overhaul

The patch slapped nerfs on two of the most‑picked ADCs—Ashe and Yunara—and lowered the teleport cooldown to give top laners more freedom to influence fights.

Despite those levers, Phroxzon admitted the results were only “mildly successful.”

Blind picks still rule the draft

In pro play, the draft remains clogged with a handful of overpowering blind picks. K’Sante, Rumble, Ambessa and Renekton continue to dominate, prompting teams to rely on familiar champions rather than crafting counter‑picks.

The first two games test more on fundamentals. Later in the series, it becomes much more about adaptation.

Matt “Phroxzon” Leung‑Harrison

Jungle sees new assassins, but AP still lagging

The introduction of the Sundered Sky update nudged teams away from a narrow pool of junglers, opening space for assassins like Naafiri, Qiyana and a resurging Jayce. While these picks add variety, Phroxzon remains unsatisfied with AP junglers. He said AP champions “are conditional on landing key crowd controls” and struggle in early‑item fights against AD rivals.

Raptors: powerful but dangerous to over‑value

Raptors have become the most coveted jungle camp at the highest level, prized for rapid clear speed and proximity to mid lane. Phroxzon acknowledged the team’s awareness of their strength but cautioned against over‑correcting. “If it gets to the point where that’s the only thing that matters in the jungling experience, then yeah, that’s probably gone too far,” he warned.

Bot‑lane finally gets a voice

A season‑long experiment with role quests has handed bot‑lane carries unprecedented agency. The new system encourages a blend of scaling champions—Orianna, Syndra, Viktor—and early‑pressure picks—Galio, Akali, Sylas—giving teams the freedom to play to their strengths. Phroxzon praised the mix, saying it creates “more interesting choices” and pushes teams to decide between long‑game growth and immediate map impact.