League of Legends has been active for a long time and many features have been added and removed over the 14 seasons. For many players, however, Riot is primarily getting rid of social features that have fostered community interactions.
Which features are we talking about? The user 13yearsand4monthss posted a Reddit thread complaining that the game has become less social over the years. He cites various reasons and removed features.
- According to the user, people used to chat more during matches, both toxic and non-toxic
- More users added each other after matches and then played together
- 5-player ranked matches were replaced by Flex queue and Flex is a meme within the community
He also mentions two aspects in the client that have changed. First, clubs, which were a way to connect with a larger group and invite multiple people at once. This feature was introduced in Season 6 and removed in Season 10.
Another aspect is the client after matches. Previously, the chat was very prominent on the screen and according to the user, more was written there. Now, the chat after the match is one click away and smaller in the corner, causing most people to leave immediately.
It’s not that simple
Other things not mentioned here are also changes to the chat. For example, you cannot ping everything anymore, only your own party. The removal of all chat was also an attempt by Riot to limit toxic behavior.
Many users in the comments agree with the thread.
- Bumblebee2029:
I miss the old chat rooms you could join.
- Koronenko:
Yes, it’s a shame and one of the reasons why I hardly play League anymore.
- Ssyynnxx:
Riot has made the game extremely team-dependent and then practically eliminated the ability to communicate with that team.
Other users see the problem a bit more cynically and rather believe that people are to blame for the situation and that not only LoL has developed in this direction.
- ParamediMajor7464:
In my opinion, it’s not only about the game. People today are generally much less social than they were 5 years ago.
- Darkblood618:
This is the case with every game now. I’ve noticed that people in games with microphones now talk much less.
- ThatguyN7:
Anyone who adds someone after matches nowadays will 9 out of 10 times just flame and create the most impossible chats known to humanity.
The community does not see the problem solely with Riot, as the well-known toxicity of the community led to many changes. Some users even see the problem more generally and not just in LoL.
Should Riot allow more open communication again? That is hard to answer, because the more options there are for communication, the more opportunities there are to be toxic and offensive. Furthermore, you can still chat and write after the match; people just don’t do it. This raises the question of whether players would do so if there were more features for it.
Why take the risk of communicating when there is a chance of being insulted? What are your experiences on this topic? Have you made good friends in LoL or do you hardly communicate in the game? Let us know in the comments. Riot is currently also angering the community with a new skin: “I wouldn’t even buy it with your money” – LoL streamer criticizes expensive Faker skin, calls for change from Riot
