League of Legends Likely Nerfing Azir in Next Patch

A potential nerf for Azir is being considered for the next League of Legends patch that would impact that champion's waveclear potential and overall pushing power.

The soldier-controlling champion has seen a surge in popularity since he received several changes alongside Xin Zhao that tweaked his abilities to give him power along with counterplay, but it now seems that Azir is shifting more towards the strong side. In order to counteract the champion's power, a nerf is being proposed that'll be a late addition to the Patch 8.3 cycle.

"We've (probably) got a late nerf going into 8.3 for Azir, targeting his waveclear/AOE," Riot Meddler explained. "Plan is to reduce his damage on secondary AA targets, hitting both his laning power (ability to push/counterpush and roam) and ability to stall out sieges late game."

Anyone who either plays as or against Azir can easily identify the waveclear and stalling traits as two areas that Azir excels in, both of them proving difficult to counter during the late game phase when Azir can wipe a wave almost instantly. Couple that with Azir propping up a turret even if you manage to take his tower which only leads to an extended siege and you've got a recipe for frustration for those that can't topple the emperor's forces.

To see a prime example of this power in action, all you have to do is take a look at any of the multiple pro games that are going on at the moment. Azir is a common pick or ban in the games thanks to his powers mentioned above, so while some lower ranks may ignore the champ completely, this nerf will eventually have an impact on pro players' games.

Another champion that's popular with the pros and is being nerfed soon is Kalista, though her nerfs won't be quite as bad as originally expected. While her attack range was at first dropped to the lowest marksman rank, it was subsequently upped slightly with Riot Meddler noting that the changes would be pulled entirely from Patch 8.3 to allow for further testing.

Azir's changes may continue to appear on the PBE prior to the patch, but look for the update's official notes when released to see exactly what's changing.