League of Legends Removes Ryze's Ultimate Zhonya Combo

A change has been made on the League of Legends PBE that removes Ryze's ability to use Zhonya's Hourglass while channeling his Realm Warp (R).

The tactic of using the active effect of Zhonya's Hourglass – or a Stopwatch thanks to the new runes – while channeling Ryze's Realm Warp, is a crafty trick, though one that's not exactly obscure now. While Ryze wouldn't always opt for Zhonya's and would instead go for mana, ability power, and health, the inclusion of Stopwatch either through the in-game store or the Inspiration rune path has made this combo much more common.

After seeing how often the strategy is used now to escape sticky situations, Riot Games has decided for now that the combo should be removed. The current PBE cycle reflects that change with Ryze no longer able to cast his ultimate and then use his Zhonya's or Stopwatch to become invulnerable for just long enough to teleport to safety.

The combo essentially offered Ryze and whatever teammate was in need a get out of jail free card if the mage has a working Stopwatch or Zhonya's, a tactic that technically wasn't supposed to work that way in the first place. Ryze's Realm Warp is cancelled during the channel if he becomes immobilized or interrupted in any way, and the stasis effect provided by these items clearly meets those conditions that should result in the channel being cancelled.

Following the news that the combo had been removed on the PBE, Ryze players and those who play against him seem to have split opinions on the issue. The combo was entirely exclusive to Ryze, so it does remove a valuable part of his kit, but it's also a 99 percent guaranteed escape every time unless someone can disrupt him right before he activates the item. Riot Repertoir noted on Twitter that Riot has heard players' concerns, and no matter what decision is reached, players will be kept in the loop.

Hey Ryze players. We understand you're concerned about the R+Zhonya's change. I'm taking those concerns seriously, and regardless of whether I move forward with that exact change, I'll follow up in the near future with context on the decision.

— David Capurro (@RiotRepertoir) January 26, 2018