In the early days of the 2022 season, a “strange” playstyle that has gained immense popularity among the League of Legends community, including professional players, is taking Smite top and roaming all over the map. A prime example of this is Janna with Smite, which has sparked considerable debate within the League of Legends community. Players are divided; some believe this is a very interesting meta, while others, like Alphari from Vitality, have called it “cheating.”
However, regardless of opinions, it cannot be denied that the top lane playstyle with Smite, instead of farming like most traditional top playstyles, has been effective at roaming across the map. Together with the jungle, Smite top is currently the strongest roaming duo, capable of covering the entire map and fitting perfectly with the meta of playing around the bot lane. However, recently, a player faced a “bitter fruit” for using this playstyle.
Specifically, a player named Yuumi Top OhTeeP frequently employed the Smite top playstyle, not only with Janna but also experimented with Maokai – a champion that has been considered out of meta for quite some time, only used in rare matches. Nevertheless, Yuumi Top OhTeeP was unexpectedly handed a 14-day ban from Riot. According to the email from Riot, during a match with Maokai Smite, this player farmed very little and stood still near the Dragon pit without earning gold or experience. Riot interpreted this action as a way to “help the opponent win.”
However, in the content of Riot’s email, it is evident that the publisher cannot lift the ban that has been imposed. The “unlucky” player is also concerned that when he returns, his favorite champions may have been nerfed. Additionally, he hopes that the Riot staff can read his post on Reddit and reconsider this very strange ban situation.