How Riot is confusing 2 different playerbases with sandbox mode

That's right, another sandbox mode thread. You're going to see a lot of these until we actually get a sandbox mode.

Let's talk about the people who play LoL, and all video game players in general. I lump them into 2 different groups: Casual gamers and HARDCORE GAMERS.

What are the difference between these distinct kinds of gamers?

Casual Gamers: These gamers play to have fun, hang out with friends, and blow of some steam after a hard day of IRL. These players probably don't want to grind, enjoy a nice lore, and want to be able to jump into a game without a huge commitment.

Hardcore Gamers: These gamers want to win. They want to be the best. They want to grind, because they want to do whatever it takes to stomp their opponents. These players only care about gameplay and balance, and probably think of the lore as a "cute" feature if they care at all about it. Some of these players are so good that they play professionally. Pro players have to grind to stay on top of their game, and they will one way or another.

By not implementing sandbox mode, hardcore gamers (especially pro gamers) are being ignored. Why is it that Riot neglects such a large portion of their playerbase? Give the people what they want.

PS: I too work for a large company, one much bigger than Riot in fact. I'm a research scientist, and it is all too often I see brilliant ideas have resistance from people who have different perspectives (cough cough marketing cough). The community isn't always patient, but I am, because I understand. You can move slow, but listen to your target market, because right now you've pissed off 90% of them.