Why Zilean remains League of Legends’ forgotten champion and the community’s divided opinions on updating him
The Forgotten Chronomancer
The League of Legends community has united in calling for developer attention toward a support champion who has languished without meaningful updates for nearly a decade.
Riot Games’ flagship MOBA represents an incredibly complex gaming ecosystem. After more than ten years of continuous development, the game features an extensive roster of champions, countless items, and intricate systems that demand deep understanding. Mastering League requires comprehensive knowledge that evolves with each patch cycle.
Regular balance patches introduce adjustments designed to maintain competitive equilibrium. These updates typically include champion nerfs, buffs, and systematic refinements as Riot continuously tunes the gaming experience. However, with more than 160 unique characters available, some champions inevitably receive less attention than others.
Currently, player focus has shifted toward support specialist Zilean, who appears to have gone without substantial modifications for over eight consecutive years.
The temporal mage Zilean represents one of League’s original champions, maintaining presence since his 2009 debut. Despite his longevity, the character has consistently maintained low popularity rates among the player base. Nevertheless, growing sentiment suggests players want to see Zilean receive either targeted adjustments or a comprehensive modernization.
Community Perspectives on Zilean’s State
Documentation indicates Zilean’s kit has remained virtually unchanged since the Season 5 era.
“This champion desperately needs developer attention. His passive ability provides minimal impact and feels cumbersome to activate… His item build paths feel unsatisfying whether playing mid lane or support. Paradoxically, opponents frequently describe him as frustrating to face, yet almost nobody chooses to play him regularly—this combination suggests significant design issues,” explained one community member.
Additional players contributed to the discussion, requesting minor quality-of-life enhancements rather than comprehensive reworks.
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“As a Zilean specialist, I believe his passive represents the only aspect requiring modification,” stated a dedicated main.
The Zilean Paradox
However, numerous community members countered these arguments, suggesting that any Zilean modifications would necessitate compensatory nerfs, as he represents one of League’s most powerful hidden assets.
“Zilean enthusiasts actually prefer maintaining his current state. The champion possesses overwhelming strength but features an elderly character model with clock-themed aesthetics in a support role, which naturally limits his appeal,” one player asserted.
“The community generally acknowledges that any Zilean changes increasing his selection rate would result in immediate nerfing until he becomes unplayable. Maintain silence on this matter,” another commenter concurred.
Even a Riot Games developer contributed to the conversation, implying the champion might already represent optimal design.
Despite ongoing community debate, only future developments will determine whether Zilean receives developer attention soon.
Strategic Considerations for Players
For players navigating Zilean’s current state, several strategic approaches can maximize effectiveness. Focus on mastering his unique double bomb combination, which requires precise timing and positioning. The delay between bomb placement and explosion creates opportunities for skilled opponents to evade, making prediction and area control essential.
Common mistakes include improper ultimate usage—saving Chronoshift too long or using it prematurely. Advanced players should practice identifying key moments when resurrection provides maximum value, typically during teamfight initiation or when protecting carry champions. Another frequent error involves mismanaging Time Warp, Zilean’s E ability, which can be used both offensively to slow enemies and defensively to accelerate allies.
Optimization tips for experienced Zilean players include leveraging his passive effectively by coordinating with teammates about level-up timing during downtime. Itemization should focus on ability haste and mana regeneration, with Everfrost providing additional crowd control or Shurelya’s Battlesong enhancing team mobility. Positioning remains critical—stay at the edge of fights to maximize bomb range while maintaining safety for ultimate delivery.
No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » LoL players call on devs to change forgotten champ that’s been neglected for 8 years Why Zilean remains League of Legends' forgotten champion and the community's divided opinions on updating him