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Having a 50% winrate does not mean a champion is balanced

IllllllIIIIlllll·12/26/2016, 2:46:01 AM·12 votes·1,776 views

For example, let's say there existed a champion who had only one ability, no scaling, max level 1, melee range, does X damage to targeted enemy champion on Y second cooldown.

Obviously, you could adjust X and Y until this hypothetical champion reached a 50% winrate. The champion would still be unbalanced, however. For one, the champion would be extremely situationally overpowered. Against a mostly melee team with little cc? Champion is probably OP. Against a mostly ranged team with a bunch of knockbacks? Champion is probably garbage.

There are a lot of champions similar to the one I just described, though obviously not as extreme. AurelionSol Rammus Galio are some examples. These champions are fine because of relatively low playrate and not being too ridiculous even in the best case.

Another issue with balance is power curves. For my hypothetical champion, early game would be very strong, while lategame would be very weak. It's fine for champions to have polarizing power spikes and dips. The main issue comes when some champions have certain conditions that allow them to avoid their dips. For example, Caitlyn andYasuo are very good early game and lategame, while being relatively weak midgame. However, these champions are able to completely circumvent that weakness by winning lane, while the weakness is amplified by losing lane. As a result, both these champions are snowball champions: they either get an early lead and maintain it, or lose their lead and lose the game.

Snowball champions are particularly poorly balanced because they pull the game such that it revolves around them far more. The result of the game becomes more dependent on the snowball champion rather than everyone else, mitigating their actual impact in the game. Is Malphite 0/5/0? He still can make a big impact in fights. Is Yasuo 0/5/0? You probably lost unless your other lanes are hard winning.

Other examples of poor balance that are misleadingly represented by winrates include what ELO it is, what team comp synergies there are, how much mechanical skill is required, whether or not the champion is newly released, etc. You get the idea, so I won't elaborate on these.

The main point I'm making is that winrates + playrates should not be the only determining factors into whether a champion is balanced. If there is a well reasoned argument, don't respond with "48% winrate and 3% playrate LUL". Instead consider a more holistic view of the champion based both on empirical data and personal experience.

11 Comments

God Went MIA12/26/2016, 8:58:53 AM2 votes

I disagree with the statement about lose lane lose game. I think I've seen yasuo come back from being 0/5 and carry a game more than I've seen a 20 kill ezreal carry a game.

KaRniVooL1312/26/2016, 3:12:15 AM2 votes

regardless of skill level if all champs were between 49.5 and 50.5 it would be balanced

that means you have a equal chance to win games no matter what champs are picked

NightmareAmazoX12/26/2016, 7:14:39 AM2 votes

Sion is balanced yet he has a 55% win rate Plat+

JMoormann12/26/2016, 1:30:02 PM1 votes

I actually disagree. Balance is something that can be measured purely by numbers like win and play rate, and this hypothetical champion would be balanced.

Game health however cannot be measured by statistics alone, as it involves more than just "Is this champ too strong or too weak?".

Yago12/26/2016, 3:10:22 AM1 votes

Valid points that are obvious to anyone with half a brain-cell. Unfortunately, you're probably going to have your words fall on deaf ears.

Irelia Bot12/27/2016, 1:45:01 AM1 votes

It means they are overall balanced but does not mean anything to the kit being healthy.

UltraGigaNiga12/26/2016, 5:43:24 AM1 votes

Same reason why the "yasuo is balanced because one diamond player said so on a video" argument is just stupid.

  • Context: the guy in the video showed Yasuos winrate for hard-data back up but he didn't mention that his winrate goes up to 55% based on games played.
500000000000000012/26/2016, 7:10:26 AM1 votes

I'd say that there's a difference between being balanced and broken. I think your example (the one ability at melee ranged) is balanced, but broken. Balance is definitely measurable through win rate. Brokenness is more about the actual gameplay.