Buzz
It seems that T1's Oner refrained from using Nidalee because this champion is weak, not because of his past 'Faker Pentakill'.
The final matches of the MSI 2022 Play-In stage concluded over the past weekend without many surprises. The top three teams, T1, G2, and RNG, comfortably secured their spots at the top of their respective groups with flawless records, demonstrating their superior skills. The remaining top 6 spots were claimed by deserving teams like SGB (VCS), PSG Talon (PCS), and EG (LCS).
An interesting aspect of the last day of the Play-In stage was T1's Oner teasing Nidalee repeatedly but ultimately not selecting her. This sparked curiosity among many gamers and Korean media since Oner is known for his exceptional Nidalee gameplay. There must be a reason why T1's 'Jungle Deity' opted against choosing this champion. In a post-match interview, T1's Oner revealed that Nidalee is currently an extremely underwhelming champion in the current meta.
Question: We noticed that you teased Nidalee multiple times but didn't choose her. It seems like you really wanted to use her. T1 played many champions in the Play-In stage, yet Nidalee was never picked despite her recent buff. What are your thoughts on this? Do you think Nidalee will appear in the Group Stage?
T1 Oner: Our coaching staff analyzed the meta and concluded that Nidalee isn't a good pick in the current meta. While Nidalee was recently buffed, she's a relatively weak champion in actual combat, if not downright useless. So, I was just joking around when teasing Nidalee. As for the Group Stage, we can't predict what will happen, but I believe the likelihood of Nidalee appearing will be extremely low.
In reality, Oner's insights are highly accurate as in the recent MSI 2022 Play-In stage, Nidalee was only picked once and was never banned. The only match where Nidalee was picked was in the heavily one-sided clash between G2 and ORD. Indeed, even in such a match, Jankos choosing this champion led to G2's victory.
So, what caused Nidalee to be sidelined in the current meta of MSI 2022? The answer lies in the fact that this champion is a type of character with relatively weak impact on team fights and excels mainly in small-scale combat. With teams ready to rotate early and engage in 4-5 man fights at the Rift Herald, a champion lacking significant AoE damage or crowd control like Nidalee won't be very effective.
Furthermore, Nidalee truly shines in games where you completely dominate the opponent, control all objectives, and dictate the map. Clearly, in a high-level competition like MSI 2022, this is difficult to achieve perfectly in every match. Even Wildcard teams can pose challenges to the 'top-tier' teams, so choosing Nidalee would be too risky. Therefore, echoing Oner's sentiments above, Nidalee is unlikely to make further appearances at this MSI 2022 edition.
