Backlash Erupts Over Riot’s Decision to Remove League of Legends’ Iconic Ward Mechanic

The developers of League of Legends have eliminated a fan-favorite mechanic that granted players experience points for destroying wards, resulting in a fierce backlash from the gaming community.

Recently, League of Legends rolled out patch 14.19, marking the first significant update of the game’s third split for 2024. This update introduced several major adjustments, including nerfs to various items, which drastically lowered the power they provide to champions.

These adjustments significantly impacted the MOBA game, lengthening team fight durations while laying the groundwork for further preseason modifications expected later this year.

However, one of the less publicized changes pertains to the functionality of wards in League of Legends, which ignited substantial outrage among players.

Ward Experience has been removed from the game pic.twitter.com/G4VYGr7BHA

— Spideraxe (@Spideraxe30) September 24, 2024

In the patch 14.19 notes, Riot Games announced that both Stealth and Farsight Alteration wards would no longer award experience to the champions who destroyed them. Specifically, Stealth Wards had 40 experience removed, while Farsight Alterations saw a reduction of 20 experience.

The developers stated, “This was a minor and invisible mechanic that still had the potential to put the ward user at a meaningful disadvantage by allowing their enemies to reach level breakpoints sooner.”

Despite the perceived disadvantages, many players expressed disappointment with Riot’s decision to remove a mechanic that “rewarded game knowledge.”

“Love them making the game simpler and removing mechanics that rewarded game knowledge… said no one ever,” one player lamented.

“The amount of easter egg knowledge that’s been stripped from this game is quite disappointing,” another user echoed.

This mechanic was often overlooked, understood primarily by players with deeper knowledge of the game. It particularly benefited supports who typically sacrificed experience in lanes to assist their ADCs, as they were usually the ones tasked with clearing enemy wards.

“Huh. I really liked that. As a support, roaming to obtain wards, I miss XP in lane and often fall behind; it felt like this was a nice little way to counter that,” one user shared.

While it seems unlikely that Riot will reverse this decision, as it is part of broader changes associated with the new split, the outcry from players may prompt the developers to reconsider their approach.

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