TL;DR
- Riot analyzed adding more bans but found negatives outweigh benefits
- Key concerns include longer queue times and negative impact on new players
- Specific champion classes could be completely banned out with increased limits
- Current 10-ban system represents the optimal balance for most players
- Riot continues evaluating but no changes expected in near future
League of Legends players have increasingly requested additional champion bans as the roster expands beyond 160 unique characters. This growing demand prompted Riot’s game design team to conduct a thorough examination of potential system changes.
During a recent Ask Riot session, design director Mark “Scruffy” Yetter provided detailed reasoning behind the decision to maintain the current ban structure. The system previously evolved from six total bans to the current ten-ban configuration, but further expansion appears unlikely based on current analysis.
Ask Riot: ????I Want More Bans????
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Riot’s Comprehensive Pros and Cons Analysis
Riot’s evaluation framework examines multiple dimensions of gameplay impact. The development team created an extensive list comparing potential advantages against significant drawbacks.
Limited benefits include enhanced player agency in managing unfavorable matchups and deeper strategic team composition planning. However, these advantages are substantially outweighed by several critical concerns.
Primary disadvantages focus on user experience degradation. Increased ban counts would dramatically extend champion select duration, adding complexity to an already lengthy pre-game phase. This creates additional waiting time before players can access Summoner’s Rift matches.
New player experience represents another major concern. Beginners typically master only two or three champions initially, making them vulnerable to targeted banning strategies. Certain champions might enter permanent ban status simply for being perceived as annoying rather than strategically overpowered.
The most severe risk involves complete class exclusion. Additional bans could enable teams to systematically remove entire champion categories from gameplay, fundamentally disrupting game balance and diversity.
Riot emphasizes maintaining the ban phase’s intended purpose: removing genuinely overpowered champions rather than personal preference targets.
Based on current assessment, additional ban implementation seems improbable in the foreseeable future. Despite ongoing evaluation, Riot’s position remains firmly against increasing current limits.
“Expanding ban quantities in contemporary League gameplay demonstrates clear negative weighting,” Scruffy stated. “Similar to all game systems, we maintain continuous reassessment processes, though our perspective might evolve later.”
While systemic changes aren’t anticipated, players can optimize existing strategies. Focus ban choices on meta-defining champions rather than personal annoyances. Coordinate with teammates to cover multiple strategic threats rather than overlapping bans.
Advanced players should consider mastering multiple champions within their preferred role to mitigate ban targeting. Developing proficiency with three or more champions provides insurance against having primary picks removed.
Understanding Champion Select Mechanics
Champion select serves as League of Legends’ preliminary phase where participants finalize their champion choices, select Summoner Spells, and configure rune pages. This critical stage essentially initiates every match, with significant victory potential determined during these strategic decisions.
Proper champion selection and banning significantly influence match outcomes, as team compositions are constructed during this process. Mastering champion select fundamentals can improve win rates by 15-20% for strategic players.
Common mistakes include last-minute champion changes without proper rune adjustments, failing to communicate picks with teammates, and using bans based on personal preference rather than meta relevance.
Optimization tips include pre-selecting multiple champion options, coordinating role assignments early, and researching current patch tier lists before queuing.
Action Checklist
- Research current meta and identify 2-3 ban-worthy champions before queuing
- Master at least 3 champions in your primary role to counter ban targeting
- Coordinate with teammates to ensure diverse ban coverage across roles
- Use bans strategically against overpowered meta picks rather than personal annoyances
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