Most Played League of Legends Champions in Pro Play 2023

10. Maokai (933 games)

The number 10 on the list is Maokai, after being a major protagonist at the start of the season. The champion received some buffs that pushed him into the jungle. Thanks to his reliable engage and crowd control, Maokai was a priority pick for most teams, as he was banned a total of 1566 times, the fourth-highest number so far. While he dropped in popularity in the recent meta, there are still teams willing to pick him up in the right situations.

9. Rakan (960 games)

Rakan made a swift return to the professional after some major buffs at the start of the season. That said, he’s not banned as often as other picks, with only 524 bans. The champion is particularly versatile in the meta, as he offers both engage and disengage tools. As long as his best partners like Xayah and Jinx are going to be relevant, his play rate is going to be high.

8. Xayah (1013 games)

Speaking of Xayah, she’s next on our list. The marksman rose up the ranks after the ADC item changes in Patch 13.2, which sped up her power spike. Since then, Xayah has been a great pick for teamfights and a counter for hard-engage team comps.

She’s currently a tier below the best ADC champions, but unless she gets nerfed, Xayah will be a strong pick during season 13.

7. Nautilus (1034 games)

Nautilus received the same treatment as Rakan, receiving important buffs in Patch 13.3. Despite not being considered a strong pick individually, Nautilus is the number one choice when it comes to crowd control or having a reliable engage tool. It’s particularly effective in the lower divisions since his abilities are easy to hit.

6. Varus (1240 games)

Varus dominated the early part of the season due to his versatility in his builds and his nature as a counter to other meta champions, namely Zeri. He was so strong that he still records the second-highest presence (pick and ban rate combined). That said, he has gone a bit under the radar lately, so we might see his play rate drop heavily in the upcoming months.

5. Vi (1275 games)

There are usually some evergreen champions that are picked regardless of the meta. While it used to be Viego or Lee Sin in the past season, this year it looks like Vi is the true evergreen champion. Her point-and-click engage, paired with her tankability, make her the perfect engage tool any team would want.

With other champions getting nerfs, Vi remains one of the few bruiser junglers to still be relevant in the pro play meta. She currently has the highest presence out of all champions at MSI, and it’s likely she will retain that title going forward.

4. K’Sante (1290 games)

Riot’s new releases are always bound to be strong champions for competitive play. K’Sante is no exception, as teams always thought highly of him, despite the immediate nerfs at the start of the season. He might not be the strongest champion in the game, but he’s a great frontline with comparable damage to bruisers. Not to mention he’s a good weakside champion to absorb pressure. For some professional teams, he’s a valuable pick to always fall back on when needed.

3. Zeri (1337 games)

Just like last season, Zeri continues to be a main protagonist in the ADC pool. Despite the nerfs and the adjustments, pros have always found a way to make her work. She’s not as overpowered as she used to be, which explains her low ban rate (717 bans), but some teams like relying on her when it comes to DPS during the late game teamfights.

2. Sejuani (1412 games)

Sejuani has been a popular pick in various regions across the world since she offers an incredible amount of crowd control and a strong ultimate for heavy engages. In one way or the other, she was a better version of Maokai, especially once the latter got nerfed. Sejuani is a perfect frontline. She might not be played as much in top-tier competitions, but she’s always a valid choice for pros, which explains her 72% presence rate, the highest out of all champions.