Riot is planning to upgrade Xin Zhao’s abilities

William Davis Published 02/03/2021

Xin Zhao is looking to get an overhaul in the near future with updates to all of his abilities, opening up for more range and ability power scaling. 

As revealed by gameplay design director Mark “Scuffy” Yetter, Xin Zhao is getting a little upgrade, after he has been struggling in terms of power on Summoner’s Rift lately. The Seneschal of Demacia is looking to get adjustments for all five abilities, with the goal to add unique ranged gameplay and add new off-build opportunities through buffing his ability power scaling. 

While there is no release date for the changes yet, Riot is showcasing the changes early on to get some feedback. As of right now, the plan is to add ability power scaling to Xin Zhao’s Determination (P), Wind Becomes Lightning (W), and Crescent Guard (R). The new scaling might open up for new builds, which could include ability power items like Nashor’s Tooth and Lich Bane. 

Furthermore, Riot will be adding more range to Wind Becomes Lightning and Audacious Charge (E). This is where Riot’s idea of adding unique ranged gameplay comes into play, as Xin Zhao will be able to make long-range combos like never seen before. Wind Becomes Lightning will also Challenge targets hit and provide vision for three seconds. This will work on both enemy champions and monsters and will give Xin Zhao more dueling power.    

The downside for Xin Zhao is that his overall damage with attack-damage builds might take a hit. The bonus physical damage on his Three Talon Strike (Q) will be nerfed, but the new range and build opportunities will hopefully make up for it. For now, Riot seems to be some time away from adding these changes to the Public Beta Environment (PBE), so there might be many changes to Xin Zhao’s update before it sees the light of day.  

How good is Xin Zhao in LoL?

As of patch 11.4, Xin Zhao is sitting at a poor 48.31% win rate in Platinum rank and higher. It’s therefore clear that the Demacian warrior is in need of some changes to fit into the meta. 

Is Xin Zhao a jungler?

Since his release all the way back in 2010, Xin Zhao has mostly been seen as a pick for the jungle. Xin Zhao has struggled to find a place in the meta for a long time, but when he is picked up, he is strongest as a jungler. Xin Zhao has also been seen in other lanes but it’s a rare sight and only in very specific matchups. 

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