Specifically, the two most significant nerfs aimed at this champion by the creators of League of Legends include changing the mechanics of [W] – Smoke Bomb, which will cause Akali to be revealed if she is affected by crowd control, along with reducing the additional movement speed stat while within the Smoke Bomb’s area.
The second adjustment is that the first cast of the ultimate – Perfect Execution, has become a target skill instead of skillshot, meaning with R1, Akali now only has one option to dive into enemy champions, instead of being able to use it as an escape tool. At the same time, R2 has also had its dashing speed reduced from 3000 to 1900.
In reality, the impact of this nerf has not yet shown any negative signs, but the reaction from the player community is mostly one of frustration with a champion being nerfed excessively and continuously.
League of Legends players are thus directing sarcastic and mocking comments towards Riot Games, suggesting that the continuous nerfing of Akali only showcases the team’s inability to balance champions:
– Oh my goodness, this is indeed a nightmare for this champion.
>> I swear I have never seen a champion get nerfed this much in a row.
>>>> That’s because you haven’t read the nerf notes for Kassadin in seasons 3 and 4.
– I think changing R1 will end the nerf cycle for Akali; they (Riot) should have done this a long time ago.
(In the latter half of 2019, the idea of making Akali’s R1 a target skill was proposed but was not implemented.)
– It would be best to return the old Akali; it saves time, and players wouldn’t have to be disappointed anymore.
>> Exactly, the old Akali was truly an interesting champion, with target skill sets, smooth combos, and immense damage. She was the epitome of a true assassin; the game balance issues aren’t much different from the new Akali, but at least she was easier to play.
– Yes, and in the following patches, Akali will also lose health gradually when standing in the smoke bomb due to inhaling toxic gas.
– What we need to do is rename her to AKALISTA (a blend of Akali and Kalista – also a champion that was once too OP and got nerfed by Riot Games to the ground).
– Being revealed in the smoke bomb and the adjustment of R1 should have been applied a long time ago; Akali’s escape ability was a bit over the top, and now she can only rely partly on Smoke Bomb and E.
– RIP. This is what they should have done from the moment the new Akali was released, but if they apply these changes without reverting the previous nerfs, then she is as good as gone.
– Finally, after two years, Akali can finally be removed from the ban/pick list.
There are not many accurate statistics on Akali’s nerfs, but many players believe that this ninja girl holds an unbeatable record, with 14 consecutive nerfs.
Since her rework launch in 2018, Akali has become one of the most problematic champions in League of Legends, standing alongside Irelia and Aatrox to form a trio that has wreaked havoc in tournaments where these champions are present.
From a subjective point of view, many players may extremely hate Akali due to the annoying playstyle she can create: huge damage, unmatched mobility, and unparalleled outplay potential. But the blame may not lie with this champion or the Akali players, but rather with Riot Games.
Their champion balancing team has crammed too many things into a single champion, turning it into a perfect name, even having no weaknesses in the early versions, and from there, the nearly two-year nightmare journey named “finding balance for Akali” has left many players feeling exasperated.