I hate it too mostly because we got promised much more in terms of story and we got 0. Also yes, Xerath has been turned around into your Saturday Morning Villain. His character was already "Not on the good side" because yes, he caused the death of manies due the power he gained but all the story gave dept to the character who was not just your anonymus plotting right-hand mage that steals from the king his promised power.
I really looked forward to the Azir release because of this statement: "I have no need for vengeance. Time has brought ruin to the mages of Shurima and I alone remain."
The fact that Azir has seen his city and empire destroyed by the Ascendant mage could have brought up a sort of Mithycal Rivalry on the field even with the retcon of the IoW. What we got now is a Jafaresque image of a champion not deeper than having Zyra being born from a seed on which Maokai sh*tted on.