In League of Legends (LoL), there are many mechanics in place, such as Early Surrender, various buffs… These mechanics, whether few or many, impact the outcome of matches and the experience of players. Of course, there are several mechanics that only operate under specific conditions and leave players quite dissatisfied. A prime example is the Early Surrender mechanism (translated: Fast Finish).
For LoL players, Early Surrender is no longer unfamiliar and is a characteristic of LoL compared to many other games of the same genre. Specifically, in cases where the match has not started and a player disconnects or remains inactive for a certain time (AFK), players can opt for Early Surrender to search for a new match. If the current match has already started, players can only Early Surrender after the 15-minute mark.
The difference between Early Surrender at the start of the game and after the 15-minute mark (previously) was that at the beginning, as long as 3 out of 4 remaining votes agreed, the match would end immediately. In the other case, all 5 members had to agree for the match to end. If one of the 5 voted against Early Surrender, the match would continue.
This was something that frustrated many players. After all, those who troll the game often would not agree to end the match early. Therefore, in the 13.7 update, Riot decided to implement a change they had “teased” for a long time. That is to allow the match to end if 4 out of 5 members agree to Early Surrender.
Such a small adjustment, yet Riot has been met with enthusiastic praise from the community. Many argue that players can fully recognize whether a match can be salvaged. Trying to drag out a match that is already lost will only waste the time of other players. Moreover, continuing the match only “helps” the trolls continue to annoy other players.
Riot’s change has still sparked mixed opinions. For instance, players may find it difficult to enjoy the feeling of turning the tide of a match. However, Riot has its reasons for making this adjustment, and the community has acknowledged that these changes could help make LoL more friendly and better suited to player preferences.