Udyr’s long-awaited League of Legends rework: What players need to know about the 2022 update
The Road to Udyr’s Rework
After years of community requests, Udyr’s transformation from League’s most outdated champion to a modern fighter is finally underway. The Spirit Walker dominated Riot’s Season 11 VGU poll, securing 37.2% of votes in what developers called a “landslide” victory over competitors like Shyvana (18%) and Skarner (17.3%).
This overwhelming player demand convinced Riot to prioritize updating Udyr’s visually and mechanically archaic kit, with developers promising to bring the champion up to contemporary League standards while honoring his unique identity.
The timing proved serendipitous as Udyr experienced an unexpected competitive renaissance in early 2021. After being picked just four times from 2018-2020, he suddenly became a priority pick with 78 selections in the first month of the 2021 season, sporting a 39.7% win rate in pro play.
Rework Design Philosophy
Riot’s design team has emphasized preserving Udyr’s core fantasy as a primal Freljordian warrior while modernizing his execution. Concept artist Justin Albers explained: “We’re amplifying his ancient, nature-connected identity through more visually distinct stances and Freljordian motifs.”
Gameplay designer Stash Chelluck confirmed the rework will maintain Udyr’s signature stance-dancing playstyle but with more impactful transitions between forms. “Each stance needs to feel truly transformative,” Chelluck noted, “creating meaningful decision points about when to shift between bear, tiger, turtle, and phoenix modes.”
The update will also address Udyr’s notorious itemization problems. Current testing focuses on making him less reliant on specific mythic items while maintaining his identity as a flexible fighter who can build tanky or damage-focused depending on team needs.
Impact on the Meta
Udyr’s 2021 competitive resurgence—sparked by Korean players optimizing his clear speed—demonstrated untapped potential in his kit. His solo queue performance similarly exploded, reaching a 7.72% pick rate with a dominant 56.06% win rate following the pro play breakthrough.
The rework aims to make Udyr viable at all skill levels while reducing his feast-or-famine nature. Developers want to maintain his strengths as a jungle speedster and duelist while adding counterplay options opponents currently lack against his relentless pursuit.
Before Udyr’s update arrives in early 2022, players can expect Dr. Mundo’s rework in April and potential Rammus adjustments. These changes may significantly alter the jungle meta Udyr will enter post-rework.
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