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Quick Gameplay Thoughts: March 5

Item Choice Data Correction.

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Item Choice Data Correction

We wanted to make a correction to our item choice deep dive in last week’s post. The 11.3 data we had been using was an unfiltered view including ARAM and URF modes. Posts like these are made separately from the teams doing the work, and with fairly short turnaround times. In this case, the default data view included the wrong modes and we simply didn’t check it thoroughly enough to verify. Although we also want item diversity in alternate modes, we’re evaluating the success of the system on competitive Summoner’s Rift modes: Ranked Solo Queue, Ranked Flex, and Clash.

This mistake had no impact on balance decisions, whether over the past few months or for future planning, because the Summoner's Rift Team doesn't use the unfiltered view. The only impact was to the graphs for last week's post and our explanation of them in the text.

Previously we said that 88% of champions were hitting our Mythic choice goal in 11.3 but the correct number for standard Summoner's Rift queues is 72% (74% if you include normals). This is a meaningful difference, and we don’t want to misrepresent the current state of item choice—hence this followup.

These are the champs who were hardbound in 11.3, with new additions highlighted in bold:

Marksmen

21 hits, 3 misses

  • Jhin (90.2% Galeforce)
  • Samira (94.0% Immortal Shieldbow)
  • Vayne (82.2% Kraken Slayer)

AD Assassin

10 hits, 0 miss

  • *Kha'Zix dropped below hardbinding thresholds at 73.8% Duskblade of Draktharr pickrate

AP Assassin and Fighter

10 hits, 8 misses

  • Ekko (87.1% Hextech Rocketbelt)
  • Elise (88.6% Night Harvester)
  • Evelynn (78.7% Night Harvester)
  • Kennen (81.4% Hextech Rocketbelt)
  • LeBlanc (85.9% Luden's Tempest)
  • Lillia (86.8% Liandry's Anguish)
  • Mordekaiser (85.6% Riftmaker)
  • Nidalee (86.6% Night Harvester)

Mage

23 hits, 10 misses

  • Brand (82.8% Liandry's Anguish)
  • Cassiopeia (88.8% Liandry's Anguish)
  • Karthus (85.9% Liandry's Anguish)
  • Malzahar (87.3% Liandry's Anguish)
  • Syndra (81.0% Luden's Tempest)
  • Taliyah (75.7% Luden's Tempest)
  • Twisted Fate (75.1% Hextech Rocketbelt)
  • Veigar (75.2% Luden's Tempest)
  • Zoe (86.8% Luden's Tempest)
  • Zyra (75.2% Liandry's Angush)

Fighter

24 hits, 12 misses

  • Aatrox (86.1% Goredrinker)
  • Darius (86.8% Strikebreaker)
  • Garen (83.1% Stridebreaker)
  • Jayce (91.9% Eclipse)
  • Kayn [Red] (87.9% Goredrinker)
  • Nasus (81.9% Divine Sunderer)
  • Olaf (93.0% Goredrinker)
  • Pantheon (76.8% Eclipse)
  • Rek'Sai (84.7% Prowler's Claw)
  • Renekton (76.5% Goredrinker)
  • Riven (76.3% Goredrinker)
  • Udyr (83.7% Turbo Chemtank)

Tank

18 hits, 6 misses

  • Amumu (79.2% Sunfire Aegis)
  • Braum (79.6% Locket of the Iron Solari)
  • Leona (77.4% Locket of the Iron Solari)
  • Rammus (77.3% Turbo Chemtank)
  • Skarner (84.9% Turbo Chemtank)
  • Thresh (80.2% Locket of the Iron Solari)

Enchanter

7 hits, 4 misses

  • Ivern (84.0% Moonstone Renewer)
  • Lulu (77.0% Moonstone Renewer)
  • Soraka (75.1% Moonstone Renewer)
  • Yuumi (81.6% Moonstone Renewer)

Still an improvement from season 10, but not quite as strong as the numbers we presented last week.

Something else we do look at is high MMR choice variety. This is helpful as an indicator of future trends, or sometimes just reflects the different way the game is played at high vs low MMR. Overall there is a moderate increase in item diversity across the board, though there are some cases of less diversity, like Sona who builds Moonstone more.

Our overall goals and future plans are unchanged. We want to have maximum strategic choice for the item system without compromising other important parts of League’s gameplay. We will continue to make changes that broaden hard bound items, buff unviable ones, and nerf dominant choices.

Thanks again for playing with us.



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