Why Ziggs' Popularity at MSI and EWC 2026 Doesn't Match His Performance

It’s been a hectic month of international League of Legends action. The 2026 editions of MSI and the Esports World Cup have now drawn to a close, and one of the biggest topics of discussions after both stops has been the growing presence of mages in Bot Lane in pro play.

Among these mages, there is one standout pick: Ziggs. The mad bomber became the second most picked champion in the Bot Lane at both tournaments, showing up as the biggest alternative to traditional AD carries. But, was the pick really effective? Let’s find out.

Bot Lane Ziggs: Numbers That Don't Back Up the Hype

To start us off, let’s have a look at the top 10 most picked champions at both MSI and EWC:

From the table above, the most immediate thing that stands out is the fact that Ziggs has the lowest win rate among all top 10 most picked champions in both tournaments (in the case of MSI, Ziggs shares that spot with Naafiri). 

And yet, despite the relatively low win rate, Ziggs ranks among the top Bot Lane picks in damage per minute at both events. So, if the damage is not an issue, then what is?

More and more Bot Lane players are leaning on Ziggs in pro play, but not always successfully. (Credit: Riot Games)

Ziggs Is Not Succeeding, But Can It?

Ziggs’ win rate at MSI and EWC does not seem to justify his high pick rate. Does that make Ziggs a bad pick? Not necessarily. 

Ziggs may well be a pick that should, in theory, succeed in the Bot Lane. The thing is that we’re talking about players that have spent countless hours across many years mastering the skillset of an ADC. 

Piloting a traditional AD carry champion will feel like second nature to a lot of these players. Playing Ziggs, meanwhile, might not. While all champions in the game are player-dependent when it comes to success and win rate, mages in the Bot Lane are even more so.

Viper is one of the most historic AD carry players in professional League of Legends. (Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)

It is not just a player issue, though. Forfeiting a conventional AD carry pick for a mage like Ziggs in the Bot Lane changes the way your entire team must approach teamfights; hell, it even changes the way your team must think about the overall macro game.

Whether it be the player or the team as a whole, some squads just haven’t nailed down all of the reasons why Ziggs should be a great pick in the Bot Lane, helping explain his win rates woes.

The Smash vs Gumayusi Phenomenon: Do Teams Really Need to Play Ziggs?

Ziggs being the second most picked champion in the Bot Lane across two separate international tournaments could be cause for concern. But do teams really need to play Ziggs?

Looking at MSI and the Esports World Cup, an interesting stat stands out. At MSI, Hanwha Life Esports won the tournament with Lee "Gumayusi" Min-hyeong having the most Ziggs games out of anyone at the tournament (5 picks, 60% win rate). At EWC, meanwhile, Dplus KIA won the whole thing with Shin "Smash" Geum-jae never playing Ziggs even once.

Dplus KIA won the League of Legends Esports World Cup 2026 without the need for Ziggs. (Credit: Esports World Cup)

This suggests that, if your team can make the most of it, then Ziggs is definitely a good tool to have in your arsenal. And yet, it is far from a necessary one. 

The fact does remain, though, that Ziggs could become an even bigger problem as teams continue to perfect their game plan around the pick. The question now is, will Riot give pro players the time they need, or are there nerfs coming for mages in the Bot Lane in the near future?

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Featured image credit: Christina Oh/Riot Games

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