Naafiri’s Struggle in the League of Legends Meta
Ever since her release in League of Legends, Naafiri has struggled to find her place within the game’s meta. As one of the newest monster champions, her play and pick rates have been steadily declining. Naafiri, the pack leader and Darkin hound, was introduced to the game as a starter assassin, designed to be an accessible character for newer players to master. However, despite her initial promise, she has not managed to carve out a significant niche. Players have often compared her to Nocturne, another assassin with a similar playstyle, and this comparison seems to be intensifying with the announcement of her upcoming mid-scope update.
Riot August’s Mid-Scope Update
To address Naafiri’s dwindling popularity, Riot Games has unveiled a mid-scope update aimed at transforming her from a basic assassin into a more complex jungler. The update, shared by Riot August on his official X account (formerly Twitter), details significant changes to her abilities. The most notable alteration involves swapping her ultimate ability with her W. Now, Naafiri can press W to summon her packmates every 20 seconds, while also receiving a short burst of invulnerability. Her new ultimate ability allows her to latch onto an enemy from afar and dash towards them to deal damage, reminiscent of Nocturne’s ultimate. This change has sparked a lot of debate among the player community, with many users pointing out the striking similarities to Nocturne’s abilities.
Fine-Tuning of Abilities
Besides the major ability swap, Naafiri’s other skills have also undergone fine-tuning. Her E ability, which is a dash, now has a shorter cooldown, a longer range, and will target the player’s cursor instead of just jumping the full distance. Her Q and passive abilities have seen adjustments as well, with the damage modifiers being decreased against players but buffed against monsters in the jungle. These changes are intended to make Naafiri a more effective jungler, but they also signify a significant shift in her playstyle.
Fan Reactions to the Kit Changes
The proposed changes have not been well-received by longtime fans of Naafiri. One hardcore Naafiri main expressed their disappointment, stating, "I know I’m in a tiny minority but I like her current kit." The shift in playstyle is a difficult change to accept, as it invariably alienates one group of fans. In this case, mid-lane players will no longer be able to use her as a lane assassin since her damage is now predominantly effective against jungle monsters. Another player was upset about the visual and functional aspects of the update: "We are losing basic – and reliable – mobility for the sake of MS boost and untargetability in a long cooldown." This player is particularly frustrated about losing the previous W dash and feels that shifting a standard ability into the ultimate slot makes the ultimate look weaker.
Concerns Over Skill Expression
The most significant criticism from the community revolves around the lack of skill expression in Naafiri’s new kit. The entire point of the redesign was to increase her skill ceiling, but many players do not see this happening. "Where is the added skill expression? I don’t see it," one player remarked after reviewing the changes. While abilities have been shuffled around, there are no new mechanics that allow players to showcase their advanced gameplay skills. This has led to a sense of disappointment and confusion among the fanbase, as they expected more from the update.
Looking Forward
Despite the current fan backlash, the proposed changes to Naafiri will be tested on the Public Beta Environment (PBE) in an upcoming update. This will give players the opportunity to experience the changes firsthand and provide more concrete feedback. In the meantime, fans of Naafiri in the mid-lane should make the most of her current kit before the inevitable changes. The developer team at Riot Games is always looking to improve the game and its champions, and player feedback plays a crucial role in shaping future updates. We would love to hear from you! Help us shape our League of Legends content by filling out a short survey.
