In a bid to foster a more team-oriented experience, Riot Games is introducing significant modifications to the surrender vote system in League of Legends. Given that the game's progression and conclusion depend on the actions of four other players on your team, even the decision to initiate a surrender vote hinges on your teammates' agreement. The Solo Queue can often be a frustrating ordeal for many players, leading to frequent spamming of the surrender vote as a means of venting frustration.
These forthcoming changes to the surrender vote system are slated to be included in LoL Patch 13.16 and are currently being tested on the public beta environment (PBE).
Surrender Changes Planned for LoL Patch 13.16
On August 11th, Chris "Auberaun" Roberts, League's product lead, shared the following insight: "We've got some surrender updates hitting PBE going in for 13.16. Intention here is to make surrendering more of a team action rather than 1 person spamming FF (forfeit) every 3 minutes, along with other misc improvements. We plan on doing more of this type of systems work going forward."
The changes slated for LoL Patch 13.16 are as follows:
- The identity of the player initiating a surrender vote will no longer be disclosed.
- A player who initiates a surrender vote will have a six-minute cooldown before being able to start another vote. It's important to note that the team-wide cooldown for initiating a surrender vote remains unchanged at 3 minutes and takes precedence over individual cooldowns.
- The surrender vote will automatically conclude when the vote can no longer pass, preventing it from remaining open and waiting for player votes.
- The text within the surrender box has been updated to indicate the type of surrender vote being called: Surrender, AFK (Away From Keyboard) Surrender, or Remake.
While surrender votes can be misused, these changes may make it more challenging for votes to be successful. Some players are concerned that this adjustment might result in being compelled to participate in unwelcome matches, potentially leading to more problematic "hostage situations" than before.
Notably, Riot Games previewed LoL Patch 13.16 on August 8th, featuring numerous changes to Assassin class items. Additionally, a total of 15 champions are set to receive either buffs or nerfs.
Lead Designer: League Balance Team & Preseason, Matt Leung-Harrison, also known as Riot Phroxzon, noted, "13.16! Duskblade is a hot topic as it's picking up on non-assassins like Illaoi, Aatrox, Yorick, etc. We're bringing down its power and bolstering some of the weaker items in the assassin system. Caitlyn buffs weren't sufficient, and we're boosting some of the champs we overnerfed."
The patch is scheduled to go live on August 16th, and these changes are currently undergoing testing on the PBE. If they do not function as intended, they may not be included in the live patch.
