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League of Legends Worlds 2022 is just around the corner, and the recent release of patch 12.17 is the second of three worlds patches. The official patch will be the next one, with 12.18 set to release around September 21, 2022.
The patch's release will nail what to expect from the meta at the tournament, but Riot Games tends not to make massive shifts in the meta. They like to keep it similar to the playoffs so that teams feel prepared for the most important games of the year.
Globally, the League of Legends playoffs featured a somewhat stagnant meta. Some jungle players showed a deep champion pool in their domestic tournaments, especially in the best of 5 series.
In the best of five formats, it is much more common for gamers to dive deep into their champ pool, as the characters they find success on in the first few games will surely be banned out by games four and five.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the author's opinion.
Expected meta jungle champs at League of Legends Worlds 2022
1) Lee Sin
Lee Sin is a staple pick for professional players. Every year, regardless of the meta, he will always find a way to be drafted.
Players of such a high skill level can unlock this champion's maximum potential, with his ultimate being a game-winning ability in most cases.
2) Vi
Vi has been extremely popular globally on a few patches over the last couple of months. The champ does well for two main reasons: she abuses Divine Sunderror, and her ultimate is one of the most powerful.
She counters high-mobility carries by being able to lock them down, so as long as Zeri and Sivir stay meta, she will be picked.
3) Wukong
Alongside Vi, Wukong has been the most popular jungler globally for months. He is strong for the same reasons.
His level 6 spike is among the highest in the game, and he is excellent at facilitating dives once he has his ultimate.
4) Sejuani
Sejuani is another champion who has tested time in League of Legends pro play, being an overall strong jungler for what feels like years. She is often viewed as the "default" tank jungler and has an extremely strong ultimate, just like the last three champions.
This is a theme for jungle champions in pro play. Being able to execute dives and reliably engaging with an ultimate is key.
5) Trundle
Although Trundle was nerfed in League of Legends patch 12.17, it was not much of an influence since it simply reduced his W cooldown by a couple of seconds. Trundle will always be strong because he adds a deceptive amount of damage to a team's comp by reducing the resistance of a single enemy champion, allowing the rest of the team to shred them.
6) Hecarim
Hecarim recently received what could be interpreted as a mini rework. His play style changed from a one-shot engage tank to a drain-tank bruiser.
He can now last much longer in fights, has an increased jungle clear, and has more favorable itemization. He is currently gaining steam in solo queue globally and has already been picked in the playoffs.
7) Poppy
Poppy has been dominating the League of Legends playoffs globally, with players like Clid, Tian, and Peanut proving the strength and playmaking potential of the champion. The strongest part of her kit is her W, which cancels dashes and grounds enemy champions.
With numerous champions with dashes in the meta, she will slot nicely into many team comps at the Worlds 2022.
