Buzz
In past League of Legends tournaments, the Stopwatch gear consistently perplexed Riot Games in balancing its strength.
Since its debut in League of Legends (LoL), the Stopwatch has sparked vigorous debates. With its budget-friendly price and impactful effects, the gear consistently attracts players in ranked and professional matches.
Following that, Riot Games compelled to diminish the Stopwatch's potency through various versions. Initially, they reduced the impact of the Perfect Timing rune in the Inspiration tree. Specifically, the Stopwatch will now appear later, contributing fewer gold stats to upgrade major items.
Through various versions, the cost of this gear has gradually increased over time. Initially, players only needed 600 gold to own the Stopwatch. In the current patch (12.21), the gear is priced at 750 gold - significantly higher than before. Additionally, Riot Games removed the Stopwatch from the recipe for the Stoneplate Enchant, making it challenging for tank champions to use the item as a component in completing their full build.
Lastly, Riot Games also altered a crucial aspect to reduce the gear's effectiveness. When players own Guardian Angel or Zhonya's Hourglass, they can no longer use the Stopwatch again. In the past, tournaments witnessed numerous instances of using the gear's effect twice. Players would be frozen for 5 seconds, contributing to pivotal turning points in the match.
Since the price hike to 750 gold, the Frozen Stopwatch has slipped under the radar for players. In the 2022 Worlds Finals, the number of athletes utilizing this gear saw a significant drop. Consequently, team skirmishes became more dramatic and enticing, contributing to making the Worlds the most captivating international tournament to date.
So, what's the sudden decline in the usage of the Frozen Stopwatch attributed to? The answer lies in the cost players have to bear for a single use of the equipment. Without upgrading it into a major item, players need to spend 450 gold to obtain the stasis effect after selling the Broken Stopwatch. Hence, finesse is required from players if they want to avoid losing an advantage against their opponents.
Therefore, this gear is most effective in total team clashes, especially as the match approaches its conclusion. Due to all these reasons, the Frozen Stopwatch rarely makes an appearance at this year's tournament. Since its debut, the gear has created many unfavorable experiences for players, so the LoL community silently thanks Riot Games for reducing its power. As a result, the Frozen Stopwatch is no longer widely popular, contributing to making the 2022 Worlds Finals more enticing than previous years.
