The Swiss stage of the LOL World Championship is down to the last three match days before the quarterfinalists are decided. After the first three rounds, the global meta’s champion strength is becoming clear. Junglers currently hold significant influence, with Wukong, Qiyana, and Xin Zhao standing out as particularly dominant. Xin Zhao has appeared 13 times from the play-ins through the Swiss rounds, boasting an impressive 11 wins and 2 losses, an 85% win rate.

It’s obvious that Xin Zhao is a must-pick or ban in the upcoming matches. Wukong showed strong performance in the third round but his win rate wasn’t as high as expected, with 7 wins and 4 losses in 11 games, a 63% win rate. Qiyana is more skill-dependent; teams confident in her mechanics tend to pick her, resulting in about a 60% win rate overall. Pantheon, Jarvan IV, and Volibear seem to be meta traps, with their highest win rates only reaching 33%.

In the top lane, Sion matches Xin Zhao’s strength with 13 games and an 85% win rate. With just one or two items, he becomes nearly unstoppable in teamfights. His priority is expected to rise in future matches. Kled, however, has the same number of appearances as Sion but only a 15.4% win rate. Excluding champions picked only once or twice, Kled currently holds the lowest win rate in this S15 tournament, so his priority will likely drop.

Volibear in the top lane also seems like a meta trap, with 9 appearances but only 4 wins and 5 losses, a 44% win rate. Most teams pick Volibear to counter Sion or Ornn, but he struggles to dominate the lane and his teamfight impact is less than that of tanks. In mid lane, the most picked Ryze and Taliyah aren’t as strong as expected, with win rates of only 33% and 41%, respectively, which is a significant gap compared to the 67% win rate of Sylas.

Orianna is a must-pick or ban champion, clearly overpowered. Despite a 97% ban/pick rate, she has appeared 9 times with a 78% win rate. Although Azir has been nerfed, his ban rate remains very high, with 28 bans accounting for 83%. Azir has only been played twice so far, with a record of 2 wins and 2 losses. In upcoming best-of-3 and best-of-5 series, he will likely continue to be heavily banned due to his overwhelming late-game strength.

In the bottom lane, Ezreal and Kai'Sa appear to be meta traps. Kai'Sa has played 11 times with only an 18% win rate, almost as poor as Kha’Zix. Ezreal’s win rate is also low at 28%. Lu Bu (Yasuo) might be quite happy since he struggles with these two champions and can now avoid playing them. The highest win rate bot lane champions are Tristana, Lucian, and Senna, all ranging between 71% and 76%.

In the support role, Poppy is somewhat overpowered, with a 71% ban/pick rate and an 83% win rate over 4 games. Female tanks and Braum also maintain solid strength, each with win rates above 60%. Neeko lacks impact, appearing 9 times with only a 33% win rate, and Nautilus is similar, with 5 appearances and a 20% win rate. Clearly, tanky supports who initiate fights are favored, while fragile supports with strong engage are less suitable for this meta.

To summarize the strengths across the five roles: Top lane champions like Sion, Renekton, and Rek'Sai have good win rates; Kha’Zix and Varus are underperforming. In the jungle, Wukong, Xin Zhao, and Qiyana are strong, while Jarvan IV, Pantheon, and Vi are somewhat weak. Mid lane sees Azir and Orianna as must-pick or ban, while Ryze and Taliyah are overrated. In the bot lane, Senna stands out, Kai'Sa is the weakest, and as supports, Braum and female tanks are favored while Neeko and Nautilus are meta traps.

Conclusion:

From the champion data, tanky champions have a major impact in this year’s Worlds. Teams with one or two frontline tanks tend to have an easier time securing wins. However, this data mostly comes from BO1 and some BO3 matches. In the upcoming BO5s, where champion pools matter more, many champions’ stats are expected to improve.

So, what do you think? Is Azir, the must-pick or ban, truly that strong?

Feel free to leave your thoughts and join the discussion!