Riot Games Reconsiders Policy on Permabanned Players
Riot Games has made changes to its policy on punishing players who have been permanently banned from competition. These players will now have the opportunity to be reviewed and potentially reinstated.
Prior Policy Was Unforgiving
In the past, Riot’s ban policy did not give any avenue for permabanned players to return to the game. However, some professional players have managed to make comebacks after one-year bans and even have successful careers. Christina “IWillDominate” Rivera is one example, who has even appeared on the analyst desk at times.
Reform and Recognition
Riot is now focusing on reform and recognizing players’ ability to change. The company wants to balance the need to protect its players from toxic behavior with the goal of encouraging them to reform.
Hope for Permabanned Players
These changes are good news for the only two players who have been permanently banned from competitive play, Khaled “DarkwinJax” Abusagr and Nicolaj “Incarnati0n” Jensen.
Abusagr had a record level of toxicity, while Jensen had multiple accounts banned and was accused of DDoSing. Despite his ban, Jensen still has a legendary status in the community and there has been speculation of him joining a team during the offseason.
However, Riot’s recent review of Jensen’s case did not meet the criteria for reinstatement due to previous violations. His suspension has been labeled as “indefinite” with a minimum term of four splits. There will be another review of his case before the LCS Summer 2015 roster declaration date.
While it is understandable that Riot wants to protect the integrity of the game, permanently banning a player for non-criminal activity is extreme. With the potential for hundreds of thousands of dollars on the line, players like Jensen should have the opportunity to reform and continue their careers.
Illustration by Max Fleishman