5 Spicy Picks for Worlds 2023
Worlds 2023 is well underway, and we’ve seen a variety of champions being picked by the pros as they battle it out to see who is the best team in the World. In this battle of the regions, we see some of the best players battling each other on Summoners Rift, and we’ve seen some of the best League of Legends being played this year.
While there has been a meta in professional League of Legends for a while now, heading into Worlds 2023 (which is played on Patch 13.19), there were some direct nerfs to some popular champions who are always picked or banned in Worlds. With Riot doing this, they intended to make the Worlds meta less stale in hopes of bringing out more surprising picks and adding variety to the games.
In this guide, made in conjunction with our friends at One Esports, we will discuss 5 surprising picks we want(ed) to see at Worlds 2023.
1. Garen
The top lane meta in professional League of Legends can be incredibly dull. While the meta has changed over the seasons and is no longer tank versus tank in the top lane, we’ve pretty much seen the same champions being played non-stop.
Garen was picked on the first day of the play-in stage, and he showed a dominating performance in and outside of the lane, sacrificing himself and trading kill for kill on the enemy carries. Watching Garen is quite fun as he is not a popular champion, so anything out of the ordinary is good for the viewer!
Garen was picked 3 times in Patch 13.17, which is incredibly rare in comparison to Top lane meta picks like Renekton, who were picked as often as 40 times in the same period. His unique playstyle, which is a mix between damage and tank has been really entertaining so far.
2. Taric
Let’s face it: it’s not entertaining seeing the same champions repeatedly. At Worlds, we’ve seen quite a few different Supports, including the likes of Rakan and Blitzcrank, but I would love to see more champions being played in the Support role.
Taric is a versatile champion who can counter a lot of hard engage champions and team compositions. He is a great team fighting champion too and can have a positive impact on his allies to keep them alive for longer in team fights.
Taric’s not been picked in a professional game of League of Legends season Patch 13.11, so it will be nice to see him after a long time.
3. Vex
Vex is the newest champion on our list and an S-tier Mid Laner right now. However, it will be nice to see teams playing her as she has a lot of good play-making potential and is a great mage!
Her flexibility could enable her to be picked at Worlds, as she can be played in the Support role and used as a pick similar to Zyra with a lot of poke and damage output. However, if she will be played in Worlds, it will probably be in the Mid Lane.
The last time we saw Vex in professional play was Patch 13.14. Just like Taric, it has been a while since we have seen teams pick her up.
4. Neeko
Neeko is another flexible champion, and after the major overhaul not so long ago, she has been a better champion to play and watch. Thanks to her Passive allowing her to change into a minion, monster, etc, watching Neeko can be fun and surprising!
On the first day of play-ins, we saw Neeko being played in the Support role. Her flexibility could enable us to see her more often and in multiple roles, such as the Top, Mid or Support, depending on the team. All in all, it would be nice to see her getting played.
In patch 13.17, Neeko was picked a total of 7 times by pro players. Her most popular role was the Mid Lane. Since the start of Season 13, she’s been played in the Support role only 6 times, so the fact that we saw her played in the Support role has been amazing!
5. Kalista
Back in the day, Kalista used to be one of the best ADCs due to her aggressive play style and ability to get kills. Nowadays, she is not a priority pick as there are stronger, easier and more forgiving ADCs professional players tend to pick instead.
Just like some of the other champions on our list, we got to see Kalista being played for the first time on the first day of play-ins. I don’t know if she will get picked as much as she used to, but we will definitely see her a few more times this year at Worlds.
Already at Worlds, we have seen her being played more than in 13.17. Kalista was only picked once on Patch 13.17 and she didn’t win that game.
Final Thoughts
What do you think of our list, and how are you finding Worlds 2023 so far? It’s been pretty spectacular so far, and I can’t wait to see who will be crowned victorious this year. Let us know what other champions you’d like professional players to pick in the rest of the games this year.
Remember to check out our friends at ONE Esports for more awesome League content.
