User blog comment:Hidden Sniper/Riot's hand in the meta as we know it/@comment-89.235.54.172-20120925183507

It is not about balance - it never was - it is about marketing.

Riot makes sure there are champions "at the top of the food chain", waits until enough people buy them and then Riot nerfs them so people will buy the new "best champions".

Otherwise most people will just buy the "best champions" and after that they would only get newly released champions.