Worlds 2022 Play-ins champion stats: Aatrox is the most contested pick

Games Writer

Last Updated on 10/06/2024

With Worlds 2022 Play-ins behind us, it is time to take a look at the champion stats. The Worlds meta isn’t set in stone and often changes from stage to stage.

Yet, we can get a glimpse of what teams find strong on Patch 12.18, at the very least.

2022 Worlds play-ins most picked or banned champions:

Aatrox 24GP/21GB – 96%P
Sylas 18GP/21GB – 83%P
Kalista 7GP/30GB – 79%P
Maokai 22GP/13GB – 74%P
Sejuani 19GP/15GB – 72%P
Hecarim 14GP/17GB – 66%P
Caitlyn 4GP/24GB – 60%P
Kai’Sa 17GP/10GB – 57%P
Miss Fortune 17GP/9GB – 55%P
Amumu 13GP/13GB – 55%P

*GP-Games Played/GB-Games Banned/P-Presence(Picks+bans%)

Aatrox checks all the marks

At the end of the Worlds 2022 play-ins, the stats clearly show that Aatrox is the most played and most contested champion so far. Out of 47 games played over six days, he has been played 24 times with 96% presence. He was overlooked in drafts only twice, in LOUD vs. DFM game 4 and RNG vs. DFM game 4.

Aatrox has been a staple pick in the top lane throughout play-ins. He has very few bad matchups, making him a fantastic blind pick.

Maybe he doesn’t hyper-scale, but his one and two-item power spikes make him extremely good in mid game skirmishes and all-important fights around objectives. Aatrox is just solid at all stages of the game.

Aatrox the most contested champion at Worlds 2022 Play-ins — Image Credit: Riot Games

Regarding top lane, he had no competition as the second most contested champion was Gnar, with 51% presence. However, we expect a surge of carry champions such as Fiora, Jax, and Kennen in the group stage.

Those champions are very powerful, but Play-in teams are not comfortable picking them, unlike top LPL and LCK teams that thrive playing them.

What Aatrox is in the top lane, Sylas is in mid. An excellent blind pick that has agency at all stages of the game with a few bad matchups. Also, many champions with very impactful ultimates, such as Sejuani, Hecarim, Amumu, etc., are meta, and we know Sylas loves to steal those.

Up Next: WORLDS 2022: GROUP STAGE CHAMPION STATS: AATROX REMAINS TOP PRIORITY

Gotta love a good flex pick

Good flex picks always have extremely high value in League of Legends drafts. They give teams many options and ways to shape their drafts. Also, they provide a ton of space for mind games and the ability to get good matchups.

In the 2022 Worlds Play-ins, Maokai and Sejuani emerged as the best flex picks, as they are both viable in top and jungle, with Maokai even picked as a support. This valuable ability granted them a lot of play time so far but also a lot of bans.

The teams love their ability to engage in fights while being very tanky. Unless we witness some crazy meta swing mid-tournament, we expect Sejuani and Maokai to continue getting featured in more drafts than not.

Many viable options

2022 Play-ins saw the most unique champions since the introduction of the current format in 2017. 89 different champions got picked or banned, breaking the record from 2019 Worlds Play-ins of 82.

Yes, those include Teemo and Garen, but it is a sign of a very versatile meta with many viable champions in all roles. It all comes down to teams’ read on the meta that drastically changed from the playoffs patch.

In addition, this year is very odd in terms of teams’ preparation, and we might see something completely different in groups. Not much scrim time, a new patch, scrim bubbles, Asian teams arriving late, etc., can all contribute to different meta reads from teams.