TL;DR
- Volibear’s rework launched with massive promotion but delivers subpar performance
- The champion suffers from unclear build paths and poor late-game scaling
- Win rates below 36% across all roles indicate serious balance issues
- Sett outperforms Volibear in similar roles with better reliability
- Free Thousand-Pierced Bear skin available exclusively to pre-rework owners

Riot Games has unleashed the reimagined Volibear onto Summoner’s Rift, celebrating this major champion update with an exclusive cosmetic giveaway for existing players.
Back in 2019, Riot confirmed both Fiddlesticks and Volibear would receive comprehensive gameplay overhauls. The transformed thunder bear made his debut with patch 10.11, bringing along a special gift for the champion’s dedicated player base. Anyone who had Volibear in their collection before the rework automatically qualifies for the Thousand-Pierced Bear skin at no cost.
Claiming this limited edition cosmetic requires zero effort – simply access your League of Legends account. The system instantly deposits the skin into your inventory upon login. Thousand-Pierced Bear represents a truly exclusive cosmetic that will never be available for purchase in the store, making immediate acquisition essential for collectors.

Volibear’s Promotional Campaign and Performance Disconnect
Riot allocated substantial resources to market Volibear’s transformation. The company organized a dedicated reveal stream, and the champion staged spectacular invasions in ARAM matches globally, physically attacking the Howling Abyss bridge. Participants who witnessed Volibear’s appearance earned a unique emote. These marketing initiatives generated significant anticipation, but the actual gameplay experience revealed Volibear couldn’t match player expectations.
Common Mistake: Many players assume heavily promoted champions will automatically be strong meta picks. Always test reworked champions in practice tool before committing to ranked games.
Strategic Build Challenges and Optimization Approaches
Volibear’s itemization presents significant obstacles for players seeking optimal performance. No single rune configuration emerges as clearly superior for this champion’s kit. The fundamental problem stems from Volibear requiring diverse stat investments that conflict with itemization constraints. For instance, the thunder deity demands both ability power and attack damage to maintain threat presence while also needing attack speed, mana regeneration, and cooldown reduction for sustained combat effectiveness.
Conceptually, Volibear functions as both a durable bruiser and resilient tank. Practically, this hybrid approach creates a champion that dabbles in multiple roles without excelling at any. His scaling coefficients remain insufficient, transforming him into a minimally impactful presence during late-game team fights.
Advanced Tip: Consider building Trinity Force into tank items for a balanced approach, though this still falls short compared to specialized champions.
The current champion roster offers substantially stronger options for similar roles. Sett serves as an excellent example of a character fulfilling comparable functions with markedly better results. When comparing abilities side-by-side, both kits share crowd control, area damage, movement speed enhancements, and gap-closing abilities. Sett has demonstrated consistent reliability across top lane, jungle, and support positions. He embodies everything the redesigned Volibear attempts to achieve, but executes with superior effectiveness.
Volibear requires immediate balance adjustments or Riot’s extensive redevelopment investment will prove wasted. Current global statistics show Volibear’s win percentage across top, jungle, and support roles remains under 36%, indicating severe performance deficiencies.
Strategic Insight: For players wanting Volibear’s playstyle without the weaknesses, mastering Sett provides immediate competitive advantage. Check out our Class Guide for similar strategic breakdowns of other champions.

Volibear’s statistical performance paints a concerning picture for his current viability. With win rates languishing below 36% across all primary roles, he ranks among the least effective champions in the current meta. This performance gap becomes particularly noticeable when examining his early game dominance versus late game relevance decline.
Time Investment: Players should allocate 5-10 practice games to assess Volibear’s fit with their playstyle before investing significant time.
For comprehensive gaming strategy content similar to this Volibear analysis, explore our Complete Guide section for detailed tactical approaches.
Action Checklist
- Login to claim free Thousand-Pierced Bear skin if you owned pre-rework Volibear
- Test Volibear in practice tool for 15 minutes to understand his limitations
- Compare Volibear’s performance against Sett in custom games
- Analyze your preferred role compatibility with Volibear’s kit
- Monitor patch notes for upcoming Volibear balance changes
No reproduction without permission:Game Guides Online » How to get the new Thousand-Pierced Volibear skin for free Analyzing Volibear's underwhelming rework performance and providing strategic insights for League players
