#askskitch

Yeah I would say ARAM is a super fun, super low stakes way to play league

Damn.

Okay.

I first heard about this from a mutual of mine this morning and I have a few choice things that've been fermenting that I want to say about this specific change that Riot is making.

I think this is an absolutely Stupid® move on Riot's part.

Now I know the obvious complaint I could make here is that it removes a lot of potential content for this blog, thriving on the interactions between players. And I understand that Rito's doing this as a way to combat the definitely apparent toxicity in the game. But I think they're doing it all completely wrong.

You don't mitigate toxicity by silencing voices outright. That's a decision the players should make for themselves. You have already given us the tools with which we can do such self-moderating. Games are going to be even quieter than ever, even if there are already games where no one's talking on either team. You're alienating groups from each other. Opponents can have camaraderie between them. Opponents can form bonds with one another. Opponents can share a mutual respect and admiration and laughs and enjoyment in the competition or heat of the moment. I can't tell you how often I've had games I remember fondly simply because I shared a laugh with an enemy. Games are going to become... colder... so to speak.

Hell, that's not even the biggest problem I have about this. The majority of the toxicity I ever receive in any given game is from members of my own team. Opponents have never been even half as toxic as my own allies have been, not by a long shot. Sure, I've seen some completely abhorrent and belligerent opponents, but none of them have been as entirely insufferable as a bad teammate can be. Like, I get that Riot's trying to "read the room" as it were about toxicity, but the efforts made do not make for a good solution.

With these thoughts in mind, I have a few questions to ask.

Me @ Rito: