For those familiar with League of Legends, the name Phreak likely rings a bell. Originally recognized for voicing champion spotlights, Phreak's journey has extended to shoutcasting League's esports events. More recently, Phreak has transitioned to contribute to the game's balancing team.
As a prominent figure within the game's community, Phreak has stepped forward to provide players with insights into the game's balance. Often, the developer shares their perspectives on upcoming changes in the title through patch rundowns released on YouTube.
Phreak also maintains an active presence on Twitch, where they engage with viewers in a more casual setting. It was during a recent Twitch stream that Phreak unveiled the role that has been asserting dominance on the rift.
Phreak Confirms Jungle as the Dominant Role by "20%"
When questioned about the recent adjustments planned for the jungle, Phreak unequivocally stated that the role necessitates significant nerfs.
"In all honesty, the role requires substantial nerfs. I mean, factually speaking, the role has to be significantly nerfed," affirmed the developer.
Phreak went on to elucidate the substantial power disparity that the jungler wields in influencing the overall game. To substantiate their assertion, they cited statistics.
"In terms of our measurements, the role is about 20% more influential compared to other roles. If we were to reduce the overall power of the jungle by around 15%, that would likely be a fair and appropriate adjustment."
Junglers like Kayn possess the capability to exert immense impact on the map, maneuvering to gank lanes and seize neutral objectives. Phreak proceeded to outline the historical challenges that the jungle role faced, explaining why such significant power was necessary.
"Historically, we encountered a significant issue where the jungle wasn't a popular role. Not only was it overpowered, but also if your jungler got autofilled, you were in a tight spot. With the jungle being overpowered and an underperforming jungler, the game's outcome seemed to hinge on whether your jungler was autofilled."
However, the development team faced a dilemma, as nerfing the jungle role to address these issues could potentially diminish its appeal and popularity.
While it remains uncertain whether the jungle changes highlighted by Phreak will make their way to live servers, given the role's considerable impact, it is reasonable to anticipate nerfs aimed at the jungle in the near future.
