In the upcoming patch 12.8, as always, there will be many changes regarding champions, features, and items. Notably, one of the major changes is Riot’s decision to “take action” against Stopwatch – an item that has become a must-have in every match at this point. In fact, not only Marksmen, Mages, or Assassins but even pure tanks are opting for this item. Most will then transition to Zhonya’s Hourglass or Guardian Angel.
However, it is noteworthy that many gamers and even professional players frequently buy 2 Stopwatches in a single match. To put it simply, each player having 2 Stopwatches means they can become immune to all damage and crowd control effects twice. Typically, the second Stopwatch is purchased after the player has acquired Zhonya’s Hourglass/Guardian Angel.
For casual gamers, this might not have too much of an impact. But for the professional arena – where every skirmish can change the outcome of the match, having such an effective tool in hand, especially with 2 of them, is akin to having 2 lives. A prime example is Scout, who, with 2 Stopwatches, fought valiantly in the match against Weibo Gaming in the playoffs, helping EDward Gaming to push the match through game 4.
Accordingly, in the upcoming patch 12.8, Riot will eliminate the mechanism that allows players to purchase Stopwatch after they have already acquired Zhonya’s Hourglass or Guardian Angel. This change will make the late game more balanced. Once a player has built up to Guardian Angel, some Marksmen can be considered very fed. If they continue to get another Stopwatch, that Marksman becomes nearly impossible to take down quickly. And for the team that is behind, there are almost no chances of winning left.
The League of Legends community is very excited about this change. Many opinions suggest that this playstyle is too overpowered. For teams that are “rich” enough to buy 2 Stopwatches, they are nearly unbeatable in skirmishes. Opponents throw all their abilities, while they simply activate Stopwatch and survive through tons of damage and control effects.
Moreover, this change will certainly have a huge impact on professional matches. With MSI 2022 approaching, fans will be eagerly waiting to see how teams adapt to this change.