LoL players agree small but significant change was one of Riot’s best decisions

Sometimes, the smallest changes can have the most profound impact. For League of Legends players, Riot Games’ decision to remove summoner names from ranked champion select is still worth celebrating as one of the developer’s best decisions three years after its implementation.

Riot first introduced the change to hide summoner names from ranked champion select in November 2022, and three years later, the community still seems to appreciate the improvement. At the time, Riot explained how many players use external sites and apps to gather information about teammates, leading to conclusions “that aren’t necessarily correct” and undue pressure, like forcing teammates to pick champions with the highest win rates or avoid certain picks. 

The team believed the best version of League was one where players didn’t metagame based on lobby conditions, and instead, focused on teamwork without judgment or dodging based on minor details. But when Riot first implemented this update, the response was mixed. Over time, though, many players have come to see it as a game-changer for ranked matchmaking. 

On Reddit earlier this week, players praised the removal of summoner names for tackling long-standing issues like queue dodging and general toxicity. Many explained how the change has reduced last-second dodges, which were previously triggered by players researching teammates’ win rate on sites like Op.gg.

This pre-game “detective work,” as a player described it, often leads to snap judgments about teammates’ skill levels based on their champion pools, which then spark toxicity in chat or outright dodges.

With summoner names hidden, these problems have largely disappeared. The draft phase now focuses on strategy and team composition rather than preconceived biases. Many players agree that the change has improved the overall health of ranked games by eliminating unnecessary drama and allowing games to start more smoothly.

Many players highlighted the positive impact on their gameplay experience, one even comparing it to a blessing. The change hasn’t been universally embraced, though, as some players lamented the lack of transparency on who they are playing with, which could be a troll account, a smurf, or even a bot. One commenter said they dislike the removal of player names from the lobby because having info about their teammates is “just so much better.”

Other players added some fun to the discussion talking about their feeling on the new anonymity names. “That Murk Wolf guy is always an asshole. Coincidentally, I’m getting tired of being assigned the name Murk Wolf in champ select,” they seemingly joked. Another recounted going into a ranked game unaware of the name changes, admitting they attempted to look up “Murk Wolf” on Op.gg before realizing the names were placeholders.

Despite some criticisms, most players agree how the change fosters a healthier and more inclusive environment. One player pointed out that dodging bad teammates only shifts the problem to other players’ games, resulting in lower-quality matches for those who don’t dodge, which according to them should be rewarded instead, and highlighting their support for Riot’s decision to reduce pre-game biases.

This small adjustment reflects Riot’s commitment to improving the ranked experience by focusing on fairness and reducing toxicity. And while the debate continues among high-elo players, the broader community seems united in thinking this was a small but significant step in the right direction for League.