"Rework" is too muddy of a definition at this point.
Champion gets a bunch of stats shuffled around? Rework. Champion loses on ability for a different one and nothing else changes? Rework. Champion loses everything and is completely remade? Rework. Champion loses 5 AD on a spell? Rework.
Seriously, can we stop classifying everything as a rework? As much as I like Riot paying attention to champions who need tweaks/help, I do not classify them as reworks.
Imo, a rework is a complete overhaul of a champion to a moderate-or-severe degree. Sejuani's changes are a rework because it changes the focus of her kit, removes many of her old abilities and drastically changes how she played. Comparatively, Rek'sais changes don't strike me as a "rework". She's retaining much of the same kit but having numbers and stats swapped around along with a new ultimate.
The issue is that suddenly everything classified as a rework makes actual reworks devalued. It makes people classify everything as a rework when there is any sort of change at all and becomes a point-of-argument for failure. If a champion requires gameplay tweaks but retains the same kit, could we really classify them as a failure or as a mistake? Conversely, if a champion only needs some minor stat shifting, is it fair to call that a "successful rework" and chalk it up to Riot's list of wonderful changes?
Gameplay changes need to be scrutinized more but we can't just have everything be a rework. When everything is a rework, nothing is.
A minor rework is when a champion for the most part, largely keeps 70-80 percent of their orignal toolkit but is given some soft changes that are meant to widen what they are capable of, or bring more focus of what they are suppose to do. Ryze is still a machine gun aoe machine, but he was given more team purpose with his teleport and more laner capabilities with his new E. Malzahar is stillt he annoying toxic, I herp derp press R on u champ, but was given safety with his new passive, and more reliable voidlings. Shen is border line, one hundred percent the same but was given a new shield that was meant purely for basic attacks and a new Q to turn him into a more effective one v one duelist. Talon went from that awkward copy cat of zed into a effective roamer with massive amounts of mobility.
A rework is when 50-80 percent of the champion is changed, but a large part of their identity remains the same. Even though Taric and poppy feela nd look completely different, to veterans who played the orignals, they will still feel at home. Taric is still a champion who stuns people, becomes tanky and heals his allies. They just changed how he does those actions now. Poppy is still that champion who hits you with a hammer while ramming you into walls, they just gave her new tricks so she isn't just a Knock on wall bot. These champions are very different in how they play, but still kept their identity.
