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Hello everyone, I'm Xiaodi, a gaming enthusiast.

After the S44 new season update, the sidelane hasn't changed much overall, but one hero is definitely on a hot streak. The latest data shows Li Xin has reached the top of the all-rank sidelane with a 55.2% win rate and a 28.6% pick rate, pushing his popularity directly to T0. Yet some players still think Li Xin has become weaker in the new season, which is quite puzzling. Why has this veteran hero maintained such momentum in the new season? What's the reason behind it? In this episode, Xiaodi will analyze it.

Reasons for the Win Rate Surge

The surge in Li Xin's win rate is closely related to his own adjustments in the new season. There are both nerfs and buffs, but based on player feedback, the buffs outweigh the nerfs. For example, the adjustment to his second skill making sword energy count as a basic attack, the reduced activation time of his third skill, and the decreased cooldown of his first skill—compared to the nerf on damage decay to buildings, the buffs are clearly more significant. Therefore, the strength is directly reflected in the win rate, especially since Li Xin's win rate wasn't low to begin with.

Of course, another reason for the win rate increase is the "Dark Xin" tower-stealing playstyle. Although the damage decay to towers was added, it hasn't affected this playstyle much. After all, Li Xin can farm a lot of gold by split-pushing, and with enough gold, the decay doesn't hinder tower-destroying much. Moreover, the Dark Xin form has high movement speed and strong wave-clearing ability, with his first skill providing immunity and a speed boost, making it hard for enemies to lock him down or catch him. In many matches, Li Xin pushes through one lane and directly takes down the enemy's high ground towers. Losing team fights is fine—winning by stealing towers works, and it's a playstyle that doesn't require winning team fights. This approach makes climbing easier, especially in unfavorable situations.

Why Is the Pick Rate Also High?

Li Xin's pick rate has also hit a new high, mainly because this hero has always been quite popular. His dual-form mechanic is very unique: Light Xin focuses on long-range poke and team fights—one ultimate can take half the health of enemy squishies; Dark Xin specializes in split-pushing and tower-stealing—with his first skill activated, he runs incredibly fast. The same hero offers completely different experiences, so Li Xin indeed has a loyal fan base. Most importantly, aside from his initial 288-point skin, Li Xin has only received three subsequent skins, but all of them are high-quality with three-form effects, which is unique in the game.

Moreover, the current Li Xin playstyle is mostly Dark Xin, also known as the berserk form, because tower-stealing brings a unique kind of fun. Many people enjoy the satisfaction of destroying enemy towers while the enemy can't catch them—especially when three or four enemies come to gank you, but you escape with your first skill. That feeling is quite stress-relieving. After all, gaming is about having fun, which is the most important thing.

Such impressive stats clearly show that current Li Xin is worth playing. Xiaodi thinks that if you want to climb ranks recently, practicing the Dark Xin tower-stealing playstyle is a good choice. It doesn't require fancy mechanics—just learn to manage minion waves and apply pressure, and many matches become much simpler. Of course, Dark Xin isn't invincible. If the enemy has strong crowd-control heroes constantly targeting you, or if your team completely collapses in team fights, split-pushing won't save the game.

That's all for today. If you found it helpful, feel free to hit the like button to show support. If you have anything to say, ask, or want to see, leave a comment below—I'll read them all~

No game I don't know, no matter I don't know; I'm Xiaodi, let's chat freely!

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