Dominion?

I've barely played since the summer, and now suddenly Dominion is gone. Any other company would just remove the matchmaking (you know, the problematic part), but Riot just deleted the map. Now I can't play hide-and-seek or generally just mess around with my friends on a less-restrictive map. This is the first Riot quote I found on the subject:

"Unfortunately, keeping Dominion available in Custom games still has the same cost as being a matchmade queue. :/ We have to ensure all champions work with capture points, items, etc. The art on the map is also far behind what we'd consider the 'quality bar' for League nowadays. It would be a herculean SRU level effort to bring it up to parity (when we could better spend that time/resources doing something awesome on SR instead)." -Riot L4TENCY

If you read closely, you can observe the lack of care for the playerbase. No one has ever asked that The Crystal Scar be updated for custom games. No one has ever demanded that "all champions work with capture points or items" for custom games. Groups improvise and make their own rules, kicking those who violate them. Those who lobbied for Dominion in customs didn't even ask Riot to do something; their only wish was that Riot not do something. There was no request for further work on the map, but Riot employees just misconstrued their arguments and threw jargon at them. I swear, it's like they don't know how to directly answer a question. Riot must have been aware of the option of merely keeping Dominion around, however, which means that the second part is their main reason: they don't want to put their name on something that doesn't match their nebulous, constantly-being-redefined level of quality. THE FANS DO NOT CARE about your focus group-driven quality bars. They just want a map that they relax and troll and play around on. None of the custom game players are asking for a "herculean" visual update, but you have decided that a custom map requires one anyway in order for the players to enjoy it. Wow. And when Riot was asked for a Featured Game Mode Queue to replace Dominion?

"I like this idea. Always have. Something we'd certainly consider."

No more promises; Riot is sick of getting burned by their playerbase dredging up unfulfilled promises that they have to redirect attention from. Riot will consider it and this particular Rioter likes it. That's all we get. Riot gets away with all this because they back up every move with stats and logic showing how much they love their fans, but they're perpetually bunging things up. Why? They alter their game based on what we do, how we play, and how we spend money, not on what we recommend or request. To me, refusing to allow Dominion in customs is the ultimate way of exerting control and choosing based on their playerbase's statistics and not their well-vocalized desires. No one's game experience would be ruined by keeping Dominion as a custom option, so why not keep it? It'll be a relic of times past and a playground for all sorts of shenanigans, a place where LoL players can create their own fun rather than have Riot spoon-feed it to them.

Also, for the players who enjoyed Dominion, you guys really got the shaft. Riot consistently promised improvements and delivered nothing but a little icon. I was pretty meh on it but I saw its appeal, and Riot really screwed you guys over.

I know I missed the boat, but Dominion deserves a custom slot at the very least. You know it to be true.