League of Legends’ Bounty System Under Fire
League of Legends’ bounty system, a mechanism designed to balance the game by offering rewards to players who eliminate high-performing opponents, is once again facing criticism. Players are highlighting issues in recent competitive matches from the LEC (League of Legends European Championship) to show how the system is not functioning as intended and may be exacerbating the challenges for teams that are already behind.
Example from LEC Winter Split Playoffs
A telling example of the bounty system’s flaws emerged in a Reddit thread on February 17, 2023. A League player shared a screenshot from a match between Karmine Corp and Vitality, demonstrating a peculiar anomaly in the bounty system. Despite K’Sante not leading in gold and his team being down by 4k gold, two turrets, and six void grubs roughly 17 minutes into the game, he still had a bounty of 153g on his head. Remarkably, he was the only one with a bounty at that moment, while champions on the opposing team, such as Vi, Azir, and Braum, who had multiple kills and no deaths, did not have any bounties. This situation seems to contradict the system’s purpose, which is to help underperforming players catch up by providing incentives to eliminate overperforming ones.
Criticism from Former Esports Player
The issue is not isolated to this single match. Former League esports player and streamer Tim “Nemesis” Lipovšek has also spoken out against the bounty system, sharing his own experience where his champion had a bounty despite his team being 10k gold behind. This reveals a deeper flaw in the system, as it appears to be working against the intended balance by giving an even greater advantage to the leading team. If the winning team can claim these bounties, they can further snowball their advantage, making it nearly impossible for the losing team to mount a comeback, thus making matches more one-sided.
Evolution of the Bounty System
The bounty system in League of Legends has undergone several iterations over the years. Initially, champions who secured three or more kills would have a bounty on their head, providing a gold incentive to players who could eliminate them. In 2018, Riot Games, the developers of League of Legends, introduced the gold earned by players through farming minions and jungle monsters into the bounty calculation to make the system more dynamic. However, this change also led to some unintended consequences, as the system became more complex and less predictable.
Major Overhaul in Patch 14.21
Riot Games made a significant overhaul to the bounty system in patch 14.21, aiming to simplify and improve its functionality. The new system calculates bounties based on the total gold earned and given away, rather than kill/death streaks or relative farm. The goal was to make the assignment of bounties more reflective of a player’s actual impact on the game, ensuring that those who contribute more to their team’s success are appropriately targeted. However, the latest issues suggest that the system may still need adjustments to work as intended.
Developer Response and Player Concerns
In response to the Reddit thread, David “Phreak” Turley, a gameplay designer at Riot Games, acknowledged the issue and suggested that the values displayed were incorrect. He noted that bounty deprecation should have already affected K’Sante and that other champions, like Vi, should also have had bounties. Phreak promised to investigate the problem and find a solution. While some players speculate that the issue might be a visual bug in the game’s spectator mode, others report encountering similar problems in their own matches. Until Riot identifies and fixes the underlying issue, players may continue to face incorrect bounty values, potentially exacerbating their challenges when playing from a deficit.
Conclusion
The bounty system in League of Legends, while designed to create a more balanced and fair gameplay experience, is currently under scrutiny for not fulfilling its intended purpose. The recent examples from competitive matches and player feedback highlight the need for further adjustments. As Riot Games continues to investigate and address these issues, the community remains hopeful that the system will be refined to better serve the game and its players.
