The new controls for League of Legends have gone live on the test servers. However, along with it come some problems that make an already bug-prone champion unplayable.
Which champion is it about? The champion Viego was already released in January 2021. Only 6 months after his release did he gain access to professional matches. His passive ability is fertile ground for bugs, as through the skill he can transform into other champions he has defeated and copy their abilities, stats, and items.
Often, there were faulty interactions due to his special ability. For example, he created infinite towers as the champion Azir. Now, however, he is unplayable on the test server if you are using the new controls of League of Legends.
What is the new control scheme of League of Legends? The team at PORO (Player Onboarding Retention Org) is responsible for implementing the WASD control scheme. With the controls, you can use the well-known movement keys WASD instead of a right-click to steer your champion.
In a Reddit post, PORO addressed various difficulties with the controls. Besides the major problem with the auto-attack function, they also offer suggestions to improve the WASD experience. One of these suggestions is simple: “Don’t play Viego.”
In the video, you can see the trailer for the new Season 3 of 2025 in League of Legends:
Viego has become unplayable with the WASD controls
What is the problem? In the Reddit post, the developers at PORO state that Viego’s second ability can no longer be charged if he has used the passive. This means that Viego loses an important part of his champion identity and is significantly weaker for the rest of the match.
What else does PORO recommend to improve the experience? Besides stating that you should not play Viego, the developers point out the auto-attack function. You should preferably turn it off as unwanted attacks could sneak in if you walk into a minion wave with WASD.
WASD controls receiving nerfs to balance
How will the WASD controls be balanced? To balance the controls, Riot wants to implement some nerfs, such as making attacks slower if you are constantly moving and attacking. Another point is prematurely interrupting animations to move faster after an ability, which does not happen at the earliest possible moment when using WASD (input delay).
What do players say about the controls and the associated nerfs? The X user Ismalakoi shares his concerns about the plan: “Why are you adding a feature that will simply feel bad, just to justify it with balance? Input delay is really not the right way.”
Twitch streamer Drututt also commented under the X post and holds a clear opinion: “Solution: Don’t activate WASD in ranked or professional games, make it available only in normal games.”
Are there also positive opinions? Yes, not as many as the negative ones, but there are voices that are happy about the new controls. Especially new players could have an easier access to a complex game like League of Legends. X user OMG_its_Yi writes the following about WASD in LoL:
I am super excited about this change. Many new players will significantly improve the game. A slow, cautious rollout through the test server before it goes live is a good decision. I was already worried that it wouldn’t happen, as things usually only stay there for one or two patch cycles.
Under the Reddit post on the topic user TaTalentedSpam writes: “I can’t wait to test it and help with the improvement. Thank you for your hard work and forward-thinking.”
What other changes or nerfs and buffs the WASD controls will receive remains to be seen. Depending on player feedback, a lot could still change before you can safely traverse the Summoner’s Rift on the right servers.
The bugged champion Viego also has an interesting backstory that relates to several other champions. MeinMMO has summarized his journey to the King of Ruin: A champion in LoL just wanted to save his wife, instead triggered one of the worst disasters in Runeterra
