New champs Viego and Gwen have dominated League since release

Viego and Gwen have been two of the most popular champions since their release and are currently among the strongest champions in both solo queue and professional play, especially when they are paired up together. 

After their entering the professional scene at the same time, players in solo queue have really started to realize just how strong the two new champions are. Both champions can be played top, mid, or jungle, which makes them versatile in champion select. Viego is most commonly seen in the jungle while Gwen has found a strong place in the current top-lane meta. On patch 11.13, Gwen has been played in the jungle more than 100,000 times at Platinum ranks and higher. Viego is even more popular, with nearly 200,000 tracked games in the jungle.  

In the current fast-paced meta, skirmish champions with loads of damage have taken over Summoner’s Rift. Both Viego and Gwen fit in perfectly with their ability to split push and fight with mobility. Viego is currently working well in the jungle because of his strong ganks with Harrowed Path (E). With just a couple of early kills, the Ruined King can take over a game and snowball his team to victory. 

The same goes for Gwen, except that she is usually picked in the top lane. While Gwen can also perform well in mid or in the jungle in certain matchups, she is most effective against tanks or bruisers up top. As an ability-power champion with an emphasis on auto attacks, Gwen is difficult to itemize against in the top lane. Right from the laning phase, it is hard for most champions to trade with Gwen because of her A Thousand Cuts passive. Combined with Snip Snip! (Q), Gwen can dish out a lot of damage from her very first levels. Later in the game, the Hallowed Seamstress won’t be easier to deal with. Her Hallowed Mist (W) makes her hard to shut down, which has also proven to be one of her biggest strengths on the professional stage. 

When paired together, these two champions make for the scariest combo in the game. Gwen top with Viego in the jungle to assist makes a deadly top-side combo that can have any solo queue game out of control in a matter of minutes. 

Viego and Gwen are outperforming in the LEC

Looking at the professional leagues, Viego and Gwen might be even more dominant than in solo queue. After the first four weeks of the 2021 LEC Summer Split, Viego and Gwen are fielding some scary stats. The two are heavily contested picks in every game, where most teams are aiming to get both champions on their side.  

Individually, Viego is the best champion of the two in the LEC. He has a win rate at a whopping 83% in the first four weeks of summer. His KDA is at 9.5 and really shows how players are able to carry with him in the jungle. Viego also has a 71.1% pick-ban rate, so he is a coveted champion in the draft phase. 

Gwen has been picked a bit more often with 11 games so far, but also has a healthier win rate at 55%. That said, Gwen has also been more contested with a 95.6% pick-ban rate throughout the split. This is the second-highest among all champions, beaten only by Thresh. 

For now, Viego and Gwen will likely continue to be the strongest duo in competitive play. As the meta develops, it’s possible that other champions will take over in their respective roles.