Notorious League of Legends mid laner Ryze is getting the signature “Worlds treatment” ahead of the big dance, and solo queue players aren’t happy. The problematic mage is receiving nerfs in LoL patch 11.19 despite his struggling win rate among casuals.
There’s some certainties when it comes to League of Legends’ mid lane at Worlds. Syndra, Orianna, Azir, Ryze — these are storied champions that usually appear as the best players fight for the Summoner’s Cup.
However, the latter might be missing out in 2021. While Ryze is used to being given the “Worlds treatment” with neat buffs ahead of big events, in LoL patch 11.19, the Rune Mage is getting a nerf instead.
This comes despite his low win rates among casual players. His win rate in solo queue on patch 11.18 is 46.56% across all ranks. While it increases drastically in Master+ ranks to 49.22%, he still doesn’t break the 50% average.
Come pro play though, Ryze’s win rate nudges above average to 50.9% in 2021 when looking at the top four regions. That’s what Riot is worried about, but it’s also what casuals are concerned for too.
Ryze nerfs target all players, not just pros
The nerfs to Ryze in LoL patch 11.19 focus on his Q, Overload, and E, Spell Flux.
Overall though, it’ll be a slight hit to his DPS. His Q AP ratio will be cut by 5% down to 40%, while Spell Flux’s cooldown will increase by 0.25 seconds at all ranks.
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It doesn’t seem like much, but given Ryze’s button-mashing identity, it can mean missing out on a whole load of damage in fights — and even chances to spread your E with the increased cooldown.
Riot’s balance philosophy ahead of Worlds was to incorporate new champions into the meta while toning down power picks.
While Ryze has been a force to be reckoned with in pro play for years, the casual community is outraged over more nerfs, with numerous criticisms of the changes on the /r/RyzeMains subreddit.
You can find the full Ryze nerfs for LoL patch 11.19 below.
Ryze nerfs in LoL patch 11.19
Q: Overload
- Ability power ratio: 45% ⇒ 40%
E: Spell Flux
- Cooldown: 3.25-2.25 seconds ⇒ 3.5-2.5 seconds