Master Yi Nerfs Hit Hard

Riot seriously doesn’t seem to know what to do with Master Yi. After nerfing him at the beginning of Patch 12.5 his win rate spiked to over 53% in Diamond+ and over 55% in lower elos like Silver.

Of course, Riot couldn’t leave him at that and decided to quickly patch a hotfix for Patch 12.5. This is an extremely long patch, lasting over the regular 2-weeks, so the balance team had to act quickly before the Wuju warrior became too strong.

How Has the Hotfix Affected Master Yi?

The hotfix has worked, but did it work a little too good? Since the B-patch went live, Master Yi saw a huge drop in play rate and especially in his win rate. While he was excelling after the nerfs, which were meant to dissuade players from playing the usual Lethality Master Yi, and instead focus on on-hit builds, Master Yi has hit rock bottom since the hotfix.

In Diamond+ Master Yi has a mere win rate of 46%, while his win rate in Silver has been lowered to a respectable 50%. Nothing like the numbers before. It seems he still performs well in lower elos, but he won’t be a threat in high elo.

What Did Riot Nerfs in the Hotfix?

Players were supposed to move away from the usual Lethality builds on Master Yi, instead focusing on items like Kraken Slayer, Wit’s End and Guinsoo’s Rageblade for their on-hit effects. That was just a bit too strong, and Riot pulled out a bigger nerf hammer.

Alpha Strike, Wuju Style and Highlander were all nerfed — check out our in-depth Hotfix article for all the information — which reduced his win rate dramatically. His play rate has also decreased in higher elos.

So, it’s back to business when it comes to facing this jungler. But with such low win rates will Riot be buffing the Wuju warrior again in League of Legends Patch 12.6?

When Will League of Legends Patch 12.6 Release?

The next League of Legends Patch is set to be released on March 30, 2022. We know that Rengar will be receiving a mini rework and that a bunch of sustain items are being hit. Whether Master Yi is on the buff list will be decided sooner. Would you want him to be buffed again after seeing these numbers?