The new feature boosted the win rate by 10%? What's so clever about Season 42?

The new S42 season is like a complete upheaval for Summoners. It's truly a different scene. Since the end of the 10th anniversary celebration, the game has been moving towards a better goal. In the past, when the game was updated and a new season was launched, the feeling was not very strong. Most of them were just repackaged versions of the same old thing with no major changes. They would put up big posters and say that the system was being upgraded, but when you entered the game, the combat environment was just as it had been. Everyone advised you not to climb the ranks at the beginning of the season and to drag it out until the mid-to-late game unless you found a meta hero.

This is because high-level players have all returned to the lower-middle ranks. Game streamers, top-ranked players, and even professional players could be your opponents or teammates at any time. The matchmaking is wide and unpredictable, making it easy to get smurfed. A top-ranked player facing off against a high-ranked player is simply hopeless, resulting in a terrible gaming experience. After nearly a decade of criticism, this time there has finally been a revolutionary change. We've seen adjustments to 28 heroes, a transparent ranking algorithm that displays the average rank of both teams, making it feel like a high-level tournament. Even the previously requested control settings have been officially implemented, and after adjusting and getting used to the feel, players say their win rate has increased by 10%. What exactly is going on?

No longer balancing the forces, but instead focusing on targeted weakening and support.

Putting aside the skin issue, the adjustment strategy for Season 42 is clear: suppress overpowered heroes and lift up underpowered ones, without completely nerfing all strong heroes. At least for the past few versions, heroes that have been a regular on the T0 list have all been nerfed to limit their snowballing ability. Less popular heroes have been given more suitable gameplay for the new version, with buffs to their roles and increased usability, which at least helps their pick rate and prevents them from being abandoned and ignored. However, due to the limited number of players, some are still overlooked, such as animal-type heroes like Meng Qi.

The reign of a generation of heroes, especially tanks and supports, is coming to an end. Who will rise to the top remains to be seen, as the season has only just begun. These are options favored in high-level play, and many players are still using them in ranked matches, such as Nezha and Yunying. The most commendable aspect is undoubtedly the matchmaking algorithm, which emphasizes fairness and focuses on the summoner's true performance, allowing everyone to participate with confidence. There's no need to deliberately avoid certain times or resort to unethical methods to bypass the mechanics and get carried.