The LoL Preseason of 2024 is introducing many changes which will greatly impact how the game is played. This is something that was necessary for LoL, as the game has been stale in the past few years.
However, changes never come without pushback, and plenty of players have criticized Riot Games. The main focus of criticism is item changes, especially the Zhonya's Hourglass recipe change, which left many fans fuming.
So, let's see why fans are so angry about Zhonya’s changes, and if their anger is justified.
Goodbye stopwatch!
The Zhonya's Hourglass recipe is changing, with the item no longer building a stopwatch, and instead building a Needlessly Large Rod. Because of that, its price increased from 3000 gold to 3200, but in counterpart, it now offers more ap and armor than before.
Many fans are not happy about these changes, mainly because the stopwatch was removed from the build recipe. However, these changes are actually very beneficial for the game.
Players will no longer have to worry about champions going untargetable because of a 750-gold item. This was a huge problem in ranked and especially in competitive play, where the stopwatch was seen by many as the strongest item in the game.
Stopwatch basically gave you a Zhonya’s but for just 750-gold. Yes, it didn't give you the armour or AP the Zhonya gives, but it offered the most important thing, the ability to become untargetable.
So, this is actually a really good change, and you can see why below.
It's actually a really good change
This change is returning Zhonya's Hourglass to its original recipe. It makes it a better overall litem for mages, providing more AP (120) and Armour (50), while still making champions untargetable for 2.5 seconds upon activation.
In LoL, 2.5 seconds is a lifetime, which means Zhonya's allows you to buy a lot of time, which in situations such as skirmishes or team fights can make a huge difference.
Indeed, the build pathing isn't the best, but the item is more balanced in terms of cost and the stats it provides. You can see it as a slight buff for mages and a nerf for everyone else.
But no matter where you stand on this change, I'm sure you will be happy to finally be free of stopwatch!
Interested in learning about LoL Preseason 2024? We've got you covered. Check out our comprehensive LoL Preseason 2024 guide here, which includes its release date and details on the upcoming sweeping changes! We have also compiled all possible map changes and item changes to arrive in Season 14.
The final new champion of 2023 is also on the horizon! Armed with a palette and paintbrush, the tortured painter from Ionia, Hwei, is the first League of Legends character to wield 10 unique spells! For a more in-depth explanation of Hwei's abilities, be sure to check out our "All LoL Hwei Abilities Revealed and Explained" guide here!
We have also compiled a comprehensive guide on everything Hwei-related, including his release date, lore, and more.