Many hope Neeko wouldn’t lose her trickster persona during the rework.
You could argue that League of Legends is alive more than ever in 2022. We’ve seen many new champions make their way to the Rift, an eventful championship, and come on—who didn’t like that absolute banger of a tune that Lil Nas X did for Worlds? It’s safe to say that Riot Games has been cranking out updates like never before. Coupling that with new champion releases, the game’s roster has been reinvigorated. As we see Season 12 come to an end, Riot has been bringing over older champions up to speed with the more modern ones. This breathes new life into the old timers, and more importantly, it makes them relevant to the scene again.
Neeko isn’t an old champion per se, but players with League of Legends accounts would agree that she’s due for a mini-rework. Unfortunately, Neeko’s much-needed update is still ways off.
Is Neeko A Bad Champion to Play?
Neeko isn’t necessarily a bad champion, but she hasn’t found a place in the League of Legends meta. She’s skirted in and out as a mid-laner and support; however, her deceiving clones don’t live up to the hype. And if we talk about her kit, the rest of her abilities fall flat between a mix of hard-to-use damage and utility skills.
Neeko still has a dedicated player base at a 2.7% play rate. Despite her 51% win rate, there’s not much engagement outside of the diehard players with League accounts that main her. According to Riot developer Ryan Mireles, they’re dedicated to refreshing champions who aren’t living up to the expectations of players that love them. He also stated that Riot intends to pursue mid-scope updates, and Neeko is one of the few champions they have in mind.
Riot Phlox explained that Neeko was initially supposed to be a bot lane mage that can be versatile enough to be played in the mid lane or as a support. There are even some players who would argue that she can also fit in the top role. But because of this jumble between which lane fits her perfectly, she’s never managed to do well competitively in any role. If you look at Syndra’s recent mid-scope update, you easily discern her problems. But as for Neeko, updating her effectively while keeping her mischievous and playful essence will be a tough nut to crack.
What Changes Will Be Made for Neeko?
The changes that will be done to Neeko are pretty much still under wraps. As we’ve said, she was designed to be a bot lane mage, but players have also used her as a mid-laner, support, and top laner. If you played League of Legends in 2020, you probably even saw her being played as an on-hit AD carry in professional play.
We know so far that the changes will still fit the champion’s theme while maintaining her versatility. Neeko fans can expect her Ultimate to stay similar, if not the same, with her surrounding kit to receive alterations. There’s a possibility that the mild rework for Neeko could change her passive as well.
When Will the Rework Be Released?
The rework for Neeko has been delayed from its previous date as Riot Games are keen on getting the details right. As Riot Phlox says, the strongest tomatoes take the longest to ripen. Players can see the reborn Curious Chameleon in action before the year is over, though, as when Season 13 hits, we can be sure that the dev team will look to revive a whole new set of champions.
If you’re excited about Neeko’s rework, we highly recommend keeping an eye out on the League of Legends PBE servers since any changes made to champions will be live there for testing before they hit the main servers.
Can I Create A PBE Account to Try Neeko When Her Rework Releases?
PBE was a previously exclusive server restricted to a select few, but now, it’s more accessible than ever. As long as you have a League of Legends account in good standing (that means having no reports for AFK, bad behavior, etc.), you’re more than welcome to create a PBE account.
There are many pros to having your very own PBE account. For starters, you can get access to the latest champions, cosmetic items, and other content before anyone else does. You can also do your part in making the game better by submitting your feedback to the developers.
Perhaps the only caveat to playing on PBE is that the servers are located in the US. If you’re playing from Oceania, Europe, or any other region, you’ll experience high ping. But hey, if you’re keen on testing out the latest updates before the rest of the players, signing up is no harm.
