[2022] Why are people suddenly calling Gargoyle Enchant too strong?

It is really an issue that it is more visible now that it is a shield instead of just increasing health. It is VERY easy to overestimate things based on how noticable they are. Even though the item is weaker than before it feels much better seeing the shield (it was very OP before). This is similar to the fact that many people underrate tanks because their impact isn't as obvious, or swear a champion is OP because they get kills.

Gargoyle is still good, it's just that it was OP and hidden before, now it isn't so hidden. But ya I don't think I would recommend it on carries, -40% damage can be rough to deal with.

So this wasn't so much about making it more "accessible to the casual player" it is really about increasing satisfaction, and clarity what it is doing for you. Yes that does affect casual play but satisfaction is important at all levels.

We did intend to nerf the item, I did say it was OP. If we can do something that increases satisfaction while nerfing something that was OP that feels like a major win.

Many of us actually love tanks. I've said several times that tanks are actually very strong, even more so after this patch, but are not as satisfying as playing a carry to many players. So a change that increases their satisfaction without buffing them is a MAJOR win. There is still work to be done to increase satisfaction for tanks, but it is tricky given how powerful they already are and how much players care about kills.