IT’S NOT always the various teams’ feats or roster changes that define the Mobile Legends Professional League’s season. Sometimes, the choice of heroes also shapes a season’s identity.
Remember how the so-called “rock n’ cock” tank-support duo between Grock and Kaja made headlines in Season 3?
Or how Onic PH made their debut in Season 4 and introduced the healing meta brought by Johnmar “OhMyV33nus” Villaluna’s Estes and Rafaela?
How about when things took a surprising turn in Season 5, when Uranus, the 5-man mask strategy, and the dual marksman setup became the talk of the town? And then that twist in Season 6, where fighters duked it out in the side lanes?
So far, Season 7 has likewise seen some patterns emerging in its current meta. Gone are those days when Khaleed would answer the call of the sands — the Desert Scimitar was only picked 11 times this season, compared to the 83 times the pros chose him last season.
But there are other conclusions that can be inferred from the stats released from the just-concluded regular season of the MPL-PH Season 7. Let’s take a look.
Roaming heroes are a bigger threat
Looking at the MPL-PH S7 data, only four heroes have been banned more than 100 times: Jawhead, Mathilda, Diggie, and Selena. Jawhead tops the list with 123 bans, 15 more than Mathilda and Diggie.
These heroes are similar, as they’re known for disrupting the opposition’s momentum through their roaming presence. Jawhead could place opponents in unwanted situations, Mathilda could poke her opponents and sustain herself afterwards, while Diggie offers vision around the battlefield, plus the added bonus of being a nuisance through the dreaded feeding strategy. Meanwhile, Selena’s Abyssal Arrows could be used as a scouting tool or as a buff stealing mechanic.
Though these heroes are often negated, there are still other alternatives to consider.
One of them is Barats, who boasts the highest win rate among all heroes at 75%. Out of the 36 times he was selected, 27 of those matches ended up as victories.
But the dinosaur-riding adventurer isn’t the only viable option. Khufra’s anti-mobility gameplay is still being abused, emphasized by his 64.29% win rate. Even the dynamic duo of Popol and Kupa has served teams well with the 61.36% win rate.
One of the recent additions in the Mobile Legends hero pool, the Astrowarden Yve, is slowly making a name for himself with his 61.11% win percentage.
Harith is back
In Seasons 3 and 4, Harith was considered to be one of the most contested characters in the game as his overall kit was severely broken. This was further highlighted by the 77% ban rate he incurred during Season 4’s regular games.
Part of Harith’s package is his high damage, his mobility and wave clear, and his damage absorbing shields. Even with the arrival of Esmeralda, who is supposed to counter Harith, teams still persist in selecting him as he manages to stand toe-to-toe with his supposed counterpick.
Unfortunately, Harith’s time under the spotlight slowly digressed. He was barely chosen in Season 5, as teams were able to look for other alternatives by combining the damage output of Pharsa, Ling, and Cecillion and the crowd control abilities of Khufra and Valir.
It became more apparent in Season 6 that Harith might be on the decline, due to Esmeralda’s growing impact.
But Season 7 saw the time traveler’s resurrection. According to the data, Harith was picked 56 times, and racked up 35 wins during the regular season, earning a 62.5% win rate.
A key contributor to his return was Moonton’s decision to introduce the cannon minion, which offers more gold than the normal cannon. Combining that with the Mystery Shop emblem plus his wave clearing abilities, Harith’s farm rate drastically doubled, potentially making him a threatening early to mid-game skirmisher.
Move over Ling, Benedetta has arrived
Since his debut in MPL-PH Season 5, Ling has been one of the most sought-after assassins in the game.
The Cyan Finch’s extreme mobility, which is a source of survivability and a potential surprise factor in teamfights, has shaped the scene, emphasized by the 81 times he was selected last season. Though Ling was a popular choice, he wasn’t always a game-changing hero, with a 48% win rate and his weaknesses against crowd control abilities.
But Benedetta’s arrival was enough to turn the tables. Ling suffered a massive drop as he was only selected 51 times this season, which in turn helped improve his win rate at 52.94%.
On the other hand, Benedetta clearly usurped Ling in the assassin role — she was chosen 83 times, a record for hero picks this season. Her mobility may not be as flexible as Ling, but her ability to fend-off crowd control abilities could serve as a game-changing factor in teamfights.
Amid the numerous times she was selected and the massive nerfs that tarnished her wave clearing capabilities, Benedetta still mustered a surprising 62.65% win rate, ultimately sealing her spot as the best assassin this season.
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