Snowball: What is Snowballing in League of Legends

In League of Legends, snowballing occurs when a player or team gains an early-game advantage, such as a kill or securing objectives, and uses that lead to grow stronger throughout the game. This advantage snowballs as the player continues to leverage their superior gold, experience, and items, making it difficult for the enemy team to catch up.

How Does Snowballing Work?

When a player gets an early lead, they can buy stronger items faster, hit their power spikes sooner, and gain more control over the map. This forces the opposing team to play defensively. Champions that benefit most from snowballing include assassins like Zed or Katarina, who scale well with early kills. 

For example, if Zed gets a couple of early kills, his damage output skyrockets, making it easier for him to eliminate squishy targets and snowball further.

Why Is Snowballing Important?

Snowballing can often decide the outcome of a game. Teams or players that manage to capitalize on small advantages often control objectives like Dragons and Rift Heralds, further solidifying their lead. Scaling champions, such as Vayne or Kassadin, can use snowballing to reach their late-game power spikes faster, becoming nearly unstoppable as the match progresses.

How Do You Stop Snowballing?

To stop an enemy from snowballing, it's important to play defensively, avoid risky fights, and focus on farming safely. Vision control through wards helps track the enemy and prevent them from securing more kills. Additionally, building defensive items like Zhonya's Hourglass^[1] or Guardian Angel^[2] can help mitigate an opponent’s snowballing potential.

Snowballing is a crucial concept in League of Legends that can determine the pace of the game. While it can quickly lead to a decisive victory, it’s not unbeatable. Defensive play, vision control, and smart item choices can help teams stop an enemy from running away with the game. Understanding how to manage or counter snowballing is key to securing a comeback or closing out a win.

References

1. [1] "Zhonya's Hourglass". leagueoflegends.fandom.com. Retrieved September 28, 2024
2. [2] "Guardian's Angel". leagueoflegends.fandom.com. Retrieved September 28, 2024