Karma is Largely Ignored for Actual Changes
As a season 2 Karma vet I've seen it all and been through it all with this champion. I'm excited about all of the recent iterations of Karma in Riot Games media and even the new skin coming out! I don't think I can continue playing this game for the next 10 years when Riot Game Developers have clearly shown no care in the world for addressing problems they created six years ago. Karma now sits at the same winrate she had months ago when Riot went on another journey of buffing and then nerfing her right after. Karma has been buffed and nerfed more than any other champion and she is one of the most largely ignored champions in the game. Karma has noticeable gameplay health issues as well as offering nothing unique to the game. Karma is outclassed by everyone who does her "jack of all trades" kit better.
Riot is afraid to work on this champion because their neglect created 3 different types of Karma players: mage, support and top. Neglecting one of the 3 types of Karma players will annoy one or the other. This was the leading factor as to why her GU was cancelled this year, since Riot Game Developers refused to even acknowledge Karma's identity as a mage with supportive interactions on allies, because the Karma support players that like to sit in the back-line and press R+E would be upset.
Issues that haven't been addressed and will never be addressed:
Karma's impact in the world and in matches is not unique and she doesn't have a clear and distinguished identity. Karma could be a amazing champion if Riot Game Developers just double downed on her problems and actually worked on her. They don't have to bring back shield bomb or old mechanics in her kit. They just have to work on what we already have in a positive way that would suffice mage and support Karma players. They could make Mantra Q ground targetable with a healing explosion, rework the Mantra W as well as give it a ally mechanic, re-imagine her Mantra E so it isn't just a Iron Locket of Solari shield with a speed steroid and make the shield more interesting.
Karma is boring to play as when she sits at her current 47-48% win-rate and unbearable and annoying to play against when she is overbuffed. This is largely because a champion that can do everything and anything is not healthy in the game, so to compensate for the fact that they don't want to double down on a actual gameplay identity and rework her kit, Karma has to be overbuffed which leads to her eventually being nerfed and put back into her sweet spot of a 47-48% winrate. If a champion has this many problems and is clearly a game health issue, why would you even think about buffing her? There are champions who have had their identities completely changed for the better and to make them more interesting, like Taliah JG, Graves JG, and more. Why is Karma being ignored for that same type of work that would actually solve all of her problems.
Before the VGU 6 years ago Karma was played more in the top lane and in a solo lane capacity. The support role was not clearly defined back in those days, but Karma was a battlemage with abilities that interacted with allies . . . . which would make her secondary role a support and a battlemage the first. Instead we just have a champion who has to have her only damage move numbers buffed and then nerfed because the supportive side of Karma was lacking. In reality, Riot could solve all of her problems by actually separating the scaling of what she builds for damage and her utility as a support. More AP means better damage as a mage but building more shield/healing enhanced items means better utility for her allies and her self. I don't understand it . . . . the need to ignore her problems because you are too afraid to double down on the problems you created 6 years ago and upset the 3 different Karma players you created because of your neglect, is not an excuse. It's a reason for players to be upset and disappointed in you as a Developer.
I love all of the preseason changes we know so far, the new Karma skin coming out that I would have bought and even better it supports a charity and all of the new games I would play in a heartbeat. I just don't want to even bother anymore when these Developers want to ignore one champion for 6 years because they are too afraid to work on the problems they actually created, for a new champion that has better art, gameplay, is more interesting, and would receive more attention. There is no point in playing this game as a vet anymore.
