Jungle is arguably the most influential role on the rift, and going into LoL Worlds 2022, G2 jungler Jankos thinks we’ll see some major changes in priority for jungle champions.
With most Playoffs being played on patch 12.15, there are a lot of changes that are in the live game that we haven’t seen affect pro play yet.
For instance, Nami’s E will no longer proc Electrocute by itself, meaning Lucian/Nami’s power will be drastically reduced and we’ll likely see less priority on the lane. But the role arguably affected the most here will be jungle.
Patches 12.16 and 12.17 have both seen some big changes to meta champs, as well as some big buffs. G2’s Jankos had some thoughts on how these patches would affect the jungle going into Worlds 2022.
G2 Jankos’ opinion on the Worlds 2022 jungle meta
While Poppy being “deadge” would certainly switch up the current meta when it comes to picks in pro play, Jankos’ list of junglers that will be meta was just as interesting.
“My prediction? Hecarim will be meta, Maokai will be meta, Sejuani will be meta. Olaf, maybe, in some niche cases if some people really want to risk it.”
The only champion on that list that has been popular in recent pro history is Sejuani, and she’s been a top laner for most of the regular season since the start of the Summer Split.
If Jankos is right in his prediction, then we’re in for a very different jungle meta come Worlds. Why is he so convinced that this set of champs will define the meta?
Jankos explained why Olaf might make an appearance. Sejuani and Trundle are tried and true picks that haven’t been altered much, so they’re bound to stick around. But Hecarim and Maokai are wildcards at first glance.
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Some Maokai adjustments should be showing up on the PBE today for 12.17. Goal is to improve the feel of some of his spells + get him back into top and jungle without eliminating his support playstyle. Changes were done by @dylanmemmott pic.twitter.com/DEseGJkqdS
— August (@RiotAugust) August 24, 2022
Maokai got a massive set of changes meant to buff every part of his kit but his W. He’s got more damage, better jungle clear, better jungle sustain, and better gank potential with his ult. Maokai’s on track to be an incredibly strong jungler.
Hecarim changes will also be on PBE today/tomorrow. Pushing him to have more incentives to be a Fighter/Bruisers and less an assassin/full tank. This is aimed to be a buff, so we'll be tuning this the rest of the week pic.twitter.com/Xg2kUZmhny
— Tim (@TheTruexy) August 29, 2022
Despite a set of changes that had a few nerfs, Hecarim’s been brought back into the meta. He’s much tankier than before, and has a lot more staying power in fights.
He may do less damage than before, but his additional tankiness on his W and the changes to the way his W stacks will send this speedy jungler right back into the meta on the big stage.
What makes Jankos convinced that Poppy’s going to fall off?
Poppy’s had one small change: A net 20 damage decrease on her Q’s damage to monsters. The percent max health bonus on each hit was capped to keep her clear from being too strong before, but now it’s very low.
20 damage being taken off her Q two times (40 damage total) in the early game is a huge deal, and could add extra seconds to her jungle clear times. That may not sound like a lot, but, in pro play, it definitely is.
It might be too early to say whether or not the pic is completely dead, but Jankos’ opinion here is certainly backed up by Poppy’s early game clear getting heavily nerfed.
It’s hard to say what the Worlds meta will be, especially considering we still have another patch before Worlds gets underway. But, if Jankos is right, the junglers who can adapt to the new meta will have a huge advantage.