League of Legends has always sought to combat negativity in the community on several experimental levels, but toxic players continue to remain a constant problem. That’s why in 2016, Riot Games will be introducing a new sort of punishment that will lock negative players out of a new rewards system entirely if they can’t take the hint.
Less than a month ago, Riot offered up details to an extensive overhaul plan. One of the major items in the overhaul was the inclusion of a rewards system that will allow players to break down unwanted premium content into materials that can be used to “craft” new rewards, such as temporary or permanent access to a champion or a new premium skin for an owned champ.
In an interview with Polygon, Riot’s Lead Game Designer of Social Systems Jeffrey Lin stated that players who cross the line one too many times will find themselves locked out of the rewards system, barred from being able to break down, craft, or gain any of the rewards the system offers. “We’ve never been able to give skins for free before in League of Legends,” Lin said. “So this is our way of saying, ‘Hey, if you’re a positive player in the game, here’s your way of earning something just for playing the game and being awesome.’”
In the past, Riot Games has taken a lot of steps, leaps, and tip-toes in attempting to battle negativity in League of Legends. There’s an honor system that gives incentives for players to reward one another for positivity. There’s also a report system by which players can point out and submit feedback on negative players, including chat blocks, temporary, and full-on permanent bans. This is the first time Riot has considered a system that outright removes player access to major rewards if a player can’t clean up their act. It’s extremely probable that players will still rage and do the things that will earn them this punishment, but offering another incentive to be positive is always welcome.
The overhaul of League of Legends is planned to roll out over a long period of time in 2016, Season 6 of the game. You can read up on a hefty list of the changes coming here.
