TL;DR
- Riot corrected EUW matchmaking settings that had been misconfigured since 2019
- High MMR players now experience longer queues but better skill matching
- This follows patterns where Riot addresses issues only after community pressure
- Players express frustration with reactive rather than proactive development
- EUW server stability remains a concern affecting millions of players
Riot Games has finally implemented crucial adjustments to the European West server’s matchmaking system, resolving persistent issues that have degraded the competitive experience for League of Legends players. The developer modified the matchmaking parameters specifically for EUW, now emphasizing skill level parity rather than minimizing wait durations. Consequently, elite-tier competitors encounter extended queue times, with the anticipated benefit being more balanced team compositions.
Following these modifications, participants in ranked solo queue are matched against opponents with comparable expertise levels. Riot’s internal investigation revealed that EUW operated under distinct configuration settings stemming from algorithmic alterations made in early 2019—changes the development team inadvertently never reverted to standard regional parameters.
We’re adjusting matchmaking configurations for very high MMR in EUW to match other regions. They should now prioritize closer MMR over slightly faster matches.
Thank you
@Prosfair
for identifying this configuration variance.Here is
@jonmoormann
our matchmaking specialist’s comprehensive analysis:
pic.twitter.com/NkDQykmNZR— Mark Yetter (@MarkYetter)
May 11, 2020
Riot is being careless with LoL. Again.
This situation represents another instance where Riot acknowledged overlooking significant game problems until external factors forced attention. Earlier this year, the company initiated the Client Cleanup Campaign, a half-year initiative to repair the League client infrastructure. During this process, engineers discovered that Affinity—a fundamental component powering the client interface—had been non-functional since 2018. The critical system failure remained undetected until the dedicated cleanup effort commenced.
A parallel scenario unfolded regarding escalating toxic behavior within matches. Only after prominent content creators began publicly discussing the prevalence of match-disrupting conduct did Riot take substantive action, implementing systems to combat gameplay sabotage.
This pattern of delayed response has become increasingly apparent to the player base, raising questions about development priorities.
“Why does Riot consistently address critical elements like matchmaking optimization and toxic player management only after community outcry? What motivates their development team to improve the gaming experience preemptively?” one community member expressed on Reddit.
Another participant criticized what appears to be selective attention based on competitive tier influence.
“The focus always centers on elite matchmaking ratings. Lower and middle skill brackets receive minimal attention, illustrating concerning prioritization,” the commenter noted.
EUW ranks as League’s second-most populated and consistently troublesome server region. By 2019, the territory had accumulated over 3 million active participants. During 2020 alone, EUW experienced multiple service interruptions. The infrastructure reliability faces ongoing challenges, particularly during periods of increased player engagement.
Action Checklist
- Document and report matchmaking inconsistencies with specific timestamps and player ranks
- Participate in official forums and Reddit discussions about server issues
- Monitor server status through official channels during peak play periods
- Provide constructive feedback about game experience through Riot’s official reporting systems
No reproduction without permission：Game Guides Online » Riot finally fixes year-old matchmaking problems in EUW server Riot Games addresses EUW matchmaking issues after community pressure reveals systemic problems