The Recent Emergency Buff for Briar in League of Legends
The development team for League of Legends recently implemented an emergency buff for the newest champion, Briar, following complications on release. After going live on September 13, Briar's win rate was strikingly low, one of the worst in the history of the game.
Briar's Initial Performance
The initial performance of Briar on the live servers was far from satisfactory. She began with a dismal win percentage of 36%, prompting the developers to intervene speedily. To boost her chances of success in the game, the game's lead champion designer, Riot August, unveiled some reinforcements within a hotfix delivered on September 14.
The hotfix delivered noticeable improvements to Briar's resilience. Her hit points (HP) were increased from 590 to 610. Furthermore, her special ability, Chilling Scream, underwent enhancements. The Damage Reduction attribute saw an increment from 35% to 40%, and the cooldown time was decreased from 18 seconds to 16.
Contextualizing the Buff
While the changes may appear insignificant, these boosts enhance Briar's survival opportunities significantly. As explained by Riot August, the updates were cautious due to an expectation of Briar's performance improvement once players explore her playstyle intricately.
Hotfixes for newly released champions aren't unusual in the gaming community. On their release, both Zeri and K'Sante received buffs due to unimpressive win rates. However, despite subsequent nerfs, both characters have seen consistent usage in high-level gameplay.
Opposing Views on Briar's Enhancements
Briar's enhancement wasn't universally welcomed, as her unique kit and playstyle necessitate refined decision-making and reward skillful play. Similar to K'Sante, a steep learning curve presented itself. Notwithstanding, K'Sante saw a surge in popularity once players mastered his playstyle.
It remains uncertain whether Briar's current win rate is a result of players still understanding her gameplay or whether she needs further enhancement in her attributes. However, gamers are patiently waiting and speculating on further developments of this intriguing character in the League of Legends game.