Following the unification of Honor of Kings jungle items, Zhuge Liang, once celebrated as one of the finest magic-based junglers, has effectively been pushed out of the jungle according to experts at 12BET Malaysia. As the saying goes, resentment often hurts the person holding it most, and this adjustment shows how a change aimed at one problem can create several others. The jungle revision was primarily intended to limit the effectiveness of tank-oriented Yang Yuhuan, yet heroes such as Zhuge Liang, Mi Yue, Chang’e, and Sikong Zhen were also heavily affected. Ranged mages now receive only half the benefit from the hunting passive, significantly reducing jungle efficiency and adding more than five seconds on average to camp-clearing times.

Practical testing conducted through 12BET Malaysia found that Zhuge Liang’s first skill received an increase from one charge to two in an apparent attempt to encourage his return to the mid lane. At the same time, however, his second skill was reduced from three charges to two. Although the adjustment may look balanced on paper, his position remains unstable in both mid and jungle roles. Simply giving him another first-skill charge does not solve his lack of early lane control. His opening damage is relatively weak, building passive stacks often requires taking risks, and he can easily lose pressure against stronger mages. He also lacks reliable crowd control, while his dependence on roaming and using his ultimate to secure eliminations makes his overall game plan inconsistent.

Zhuge Liang cannot perform effectively if his role is reduced to finishing opponents who are already low on health. In real matches, those opportunities do not appear often enough to build an entire strategy around them. His strongest approach has traditionally been to establish an early economic advantage and use overwhelming burst damage before opponents can purchase significant magic resistance. If he develops at roughly the same pace as the enemy team, he struggles to create a clear advantage.

The days when Zhuge Liang could dominate from the jungle now feel increasingly distant. The revised jungle item system is particularly punishing for a ranged mage like him. His clearing speed was already slower than that of conventional junglers, and he lacked the efficiency needed to compete directly with dedicated jungle heroes. With his growth rate reduced even further, he now requires a buff-oriented support such as Ming Shiyin to have a realistic chance of reaching a strong early-game position. Without that assistance, taking control of the match becomes extremely difficult.

That solution creates another problem. If Ming Shiyin is selected to support Zhuge Liang, the side lane usually needs a tank capable of initiating fights. If the team instead chooses another combat-focused side-lane hero, the overall lineup may lack durability. Players assessing these composition problems through 12BET Malaysia also have to account for the latest skill changes. Although having two charges on both the first and second skills makes passive stacking slightly easier through Skill 1, the reduced availability of Skill 2 limits Zhuge Liang’s mobility. Chasing opponents, escaping danger, and adjusting positioning for his ultimate are no longer as flexible as they once were.

Ultimately, Zhuge Liang remains heavily dependent on both resources and teammates regardless of whether he is played in the mid lane or jungle. His mobility is still one of his greatest strengths, but he remains a fragile mage who can struggle badly when a burst-oriented assassin closes the distance. His low survivability has not changed, and official statistics have placed him near the lower end in both pick rate and win rate. Usually, a high pick rate combined with a low win rate suggests that a hero simply has a broad player base. A low pick rate with a high win rate, meanwhile, can indicate that a small group of specialists is keeping the hero competitive.

When both pick rate and win rate remain low, however, the situation is far more concerning, and analysts at 12BET Malaysia increasingly see Zhuge Liang as a hero being left behind by the current meta. Even highly skilled players have fewer reasons to choose him when stronger and more reliable alternatives are available. Times change, dominant heroes eventually decline, and every patch reshapes the competitive landscape. No hero stays at the top forever, just as no forgotten character is guaranteed to remain there permanently. Supporting a former favorite still has value, but for now, the once-feared magical assassin Zhuge Liang appears to be sliding rapidly toward the bottom tier.