Some of us still Love Dominion

CactiRed·Feb 10, 2016·215 votes·29,108 views

O Riot why? Yes there are valid reasons for closing it but some people still love it. I agree that I rarely play dominion due to que sizes (like most people). But permanently removing it just feels like the easy way out. I could understand if it was being taken down for a eventual rework, but permanently?

If it was eventually re-worked,people would at least play it for a while due to its "newness". It had its strengths, It (assuming the ques were favorable) was good for those short games to try out champions currently free. Having shorter gamemodes its important,I often cant play LOL as I have to leave myself 50 minutes yet Dominion rarely lasted more than 30 minutes. At the end of the day It made lol more varied, more interesting. Please don't permanently destroy a small, well loved by some and potentially greater part of the great game you have made.

There will always be some people who remember dominion fondly, and I can proudly say I will be one of them.

If you agree with me,or disagree please leave a comment bellow

220 Comments

1000angrybeesFeb 10, 201677 votes

It's funny, because many people WANT to play dominion but DON'T simply because Riot won't bother with any upkeep. The irony here is delicious, but oh so bittersweet.

Heckin SupportFeb 10, 201628 votes

I love it, but im gonna be honest it literally is an eye sore. It's ugly and has been needing an update for a long time and if riot just gave it the care it deserves it could actually be a great game mode with a beautiful environment. But I guess it's easier to tear something down and forget it happened than rebuild it from the bottom up.

ErockandrollFeb 10, 201611 votes

{quoted}

It's funny, because many people WANT to play dominion but DON'T simply because Riot won't bother with any upkeep. The irony here is delicious, but oh so bittersweet.

It's not so much Irony as it is a constant feedback loop. People don't play because riot won't upkeep, and Riot won't upkeep if people don't play. And then on top of that, they are finding it harder to make map specific balance changes, as the system simply keeps changing.

Given their statement, I wouldn't be too bummed if they brought it back as a featured game mode from time to time. At the very least, it would generate some hype that would get people to play, and they can then do specific balance changes in that instant. (instead of maintaining balance over time.) But if they were going to do that, It should have some reasonable up time. (perhaps more featured game modes in general.) As well as significant rewards for playing. (like summoner icons)

RiotL4T3NCYFeb 10, 201667 votes

Couldn't agree more that LoL needs some better options for "shorter game modes". We do what we can with Featured Game Modes when they release.

I want to address the "chicken & egg" analogy for Dominion support here as well. The large majority of players immediately bounced from the mode even when it was first released, preferring Summoner's Rift gameplay instead. The "capture & hold" style of gameplay didn't translate well into a MOBA and players voted strongly with their time: they spent it in SR instead.

We certainly could have spent the time & resources to design out the problems and mitigate floors in Dominion, but we recognised an already better experience existed in SR. It had more strategic choice, clearer game-state and a wider variety of satisfying roles. The team chose to double-down on SR instead of splitting between both SR and Dominion. At that point we should have clearly communicated this to you guys, which we didn't. That sucked and it's our bad.

Dominion's map shape + capture & hold gameplay was going to have diminishing returns for design time spent on it: and players still just wanted to play SR. I believe League is in a better place today for the time and effort we spent doubling down on SR, rather than splitting focus on Dominion.

DesideriumFeb 10, 20166 votes

Can we have permanent Urf now that Dominion is finally gone?

And you can't use resource costs as a reason because if you had Dominion for ~4 years with such a small amount of players, then surely you'd be able to upkeep Urf with a significantly larger amount of players. Its space would actually be getting used.

RiotL4T3NCYFeb 10, 201643 votes

Dominion wasn't occupying the 'slot' of URF. I think URF and other Featured Game Modes are great examples of how delivering alternate game modes on a temporary cadence is much healthier.

If we did Dominion again today, I'm pretty sure it would have been as a Featured Game Mode knowing what we know now.

Solidair3Feb 10, 201623 votes

Can it at least be a featured fame mode in the future? You guys put some time aside to work on those so you could do some stuff for domi.

RiotL4T3NCYFeb 10, 201636 votes

That's something we haven't ruled out for sure. Nothing set in stone though of course.

Samflash3Feb 10, 201635 votes

As upset as I am, I get it. Dominion wasn't bringing in the crowd. Then again, this scares me. If Dominion can be taken away, what about maps like ARAM, and Twisted Treeline? Especially Twisted Treeline with items not being balanced well enough (look at jungle and support items on the map)

Also, the core of E-sports is so centered around Summoner's rift that other modes have no fighting chance. Why can't there be ARAM battles in competitive E-sports or a special E-sports scene where fans have the chance to vote for arenas where battles will take place.

FalbindanFeb 10, 201623 votes

But the problem isn't the crowd. The problem is Riot. A map update for the Crystal Scar would have been great, but not necessary. Personally, I believe that adding a ranked queue for Dominion would have been enough. Nobody played Dominion because it had such a bad reputation, I bet that at least half of the players complaining about the gamemode didn't play it once.

As for the removal, I really don't get why. Only 0,5% of players played this mode, but thinking of how many people play League, that's still a very big number. And still, the gamemode worked. Riot abandoned the Crystal Scar years ago and it is still playable. They have to do nothing in order to keep it alive, it's literally more work to remove it. Even if Riot doesn't like Dominion, it's unfair to take it from those who do. It's not a good thing to remove content. The lack of variety is the major problem of League (and will eventually become it's downfall, every other MOBA offers more modes, maps, ...) , since all is centered around SR.

I'd totally be okay with not seeing a new champion for one season if we only got a new normal map in return.

R2D20Feb 10, 20165 votes

On a side note, is that 0.5% of the ENTIRE league player base, or 0.5% of the player base with access to it (since it isn't available on a lot of the servers...)

RiotL4T3NCYFeb 11, 201632 votes

That's the player base with access. It's actually quite a bit less than that even, due to bots propping it up somewhat, but we decided to round up to 0.5%. :/

TridemFeb 11, 201612 votes

Need to say Thank You for Riot listening to our feedback. A few months before we all chanted we need some more riot feedback on Boards, and now look at our boards. I see a red tag everyday. Thank you for that.

InsanitysTheNameFeb 10, 201613 votes

BTW with about 70 million players, .5% of the community playing dominion would be 350,000 people. These are just the people who have ever won ONE game on dominion. Now if we include the statistic that approximately 15% of all dominion players are bots we get about 300,000 people have ever won one game. If approximately 10% of that is avid dominion players, then that is 30,000. 30,000/70,000,000 = .0004285 .0004285 x 100 = .04285% of the league community are ** avid ** dominion players. I believe the resources needed to maintain dominion outweigh the benefits.

SilverthaneFeb 10, 20166 votes

I have a question! Why cant you guys have a featured game mode available every day like SMITE does? I remember at first it was because there was a lack of game modes to rotate but why cant we always have a featured game mode on and then change them weekly or monthly?

RendarkanFeb 10, 20163 votes

I just am curious if some of the items will be kept and implemented in other places to expand build options. Or at least swap some items out like item 3031 and item 3104 . Hell even stick item 3180 on SR.

rtbf225618241Feb 10, 20165 votes

I personally think temporary game modes are much better because they build up anticipation and when i played URF previous year i was bored after 2 days. So i'm afraid if something would replace Dominion then it would end up the same as people would get bored eventually.

I think URF is so liked only because it is the closest thing to Sandbox mode.

Biff ManlyFeb 11, 20163 votes

I still unhealthily advocate 'SatURFday' to be implemented.

I mean, it could be 'ThURFsday' or 'URFriday' instead, but hey. Once a week is still technically exclusive.

Kholdstare13Feb 10, 20165 votes

{quoted}

Couldn't agree more that LoL needs some better options for "shorter game modes". We do what we can with Featured Game Modes when they release.

I want to address the "chicken & egg" analogy for Dominion support here as well. The large majority of players immediately bounced from the mode even when it was first released, preferring Summoner's Rift gameplay instead. The "capture & hold" style of gameplay didn't translate well into a MOBA and players voted strongly with their time: they spent it in SR instead.

We certainly could have spent the time & resources to design out the problems and mitigate floors in Dominion, but we recognised an already better experience existed in SR. It had more strategic choice, clearer game-state and a wider variety of satisfying roles. The team chose to double-down on SR instead of splitting between both SR and Dominion. At that point we should have clearly communicated this to you guys, which we didn't. That sucked and it's our bad.

Dominion's map shape + capture & hold gameplay was going to have diminishing returns for design time spent on it: and players still just wanted to play SR. I believe League is in a better place today for the time and effort we spent doubling down on SR, rather than splitting focus on Dominion.

You don't need to lie anymore to save face. 4 years has kind of numbed me to it anyway.

https://support.riotgames.com/hc/en-us/requests/20445903

Please just honor this last request, and you will have an honest means to be rid of me once and for all. I won't even hold it against you.

SKOBODOFeb 10, 20164 votes

{quoted} I believe League is in a better place today for the time and effort we spent doubling down on SR, rather than splitting focus on Dominion.

Are you going to remove Twisted Treeline as well? Or Ranked TT?

TahngarthorFeb 10, 201610 votes

I want to address the "chicken & egg" analogy for Dominion support here as well. The large majority of players immediately bounced from the mode even when it was first released, preferring Summoner's Rift gameplay instead. The "capture & hold" style of gameplay didn't translate well into a MOBA and players voted strongly with their time: they spent it in SR instead.

I'm sorry, but I think your logic is misguided. I don't think that that the "capture & hold" concept is inherently flawed for a MOBA. Just because you didn't execute it and support it well enough, doesn't mean that there wasn't any way it could have worked out.

MinardeFeb 10, 201613 votes

I want to address the "chicken & egg" analogy for Dominion support here as well. The large majority of players immediately bounced from the mode even when it was first released, preferring Summoner's Rift gameplay instead. The "capture & hold" style of gameplay didn't translate well into a MOBA and players voted strongly with their time: they spent it in SR instead.

Considering Riot originally promised to enable ranked "once the Dominion meta settles down a bit," I take it that Riot figured the part of the playerbase that decided to wait for the meta to settle before learning Dominion was negligible? What convinced you guys that people played SR instead because they preferred SR and not because they were biding time until various Dominion changes had happened?

RabandosFeb 10, 201615 votes

{quoted}

Couldn't agree more that LoL needs some better options for "shorter game modes". We do what we can with Featured Game Modes when they release.

I want to address the "chicken & egg" analogy for Dominion support here as well. The large majority of players immediately bounced from the mode even when it was first released, preferring Summoner's Rift gameplay instead. The "capture & hold" style of gameplay didn't translate well into a MOBA and players voted strongly with their time: they spent it in SR instead.

We certainly could have spent the time & resources to design out the problems and mitigate floors in Dominion, but we recognised an already better experience existed in SR. It had more strategic choice, clearer game-state and a wider variety of satisfying roles. The team chose to double-down on SR instead of splitting between both SR and Dominion. At that point we should have clearly communicated this to you guys, which we didn't. That sucked and it's our bad.

Dominion's map shape + capture & hold gameplay was going to have diminishing returns for design time spent on it: and players still just wanted to play SR. I believe League is in a better place today for the time and effort we spent doubling down on SR, rather than splitting focus on Dominion.

Seriously, the style of gameplay is NOT problem of Dominion.

Players feel Dominion is not fun because they don't know about strategy on Dominion. Most players think "Dominion is the game mode to keep fighting around Windmill". But this is wrong. And this situation make humdrum games. If players know about right strategy, we will enjoy "Rotations game".

(I hope Rioter know about right strategy on Dominion. If you don't know, please watch this video.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsGl2OaW8tk&t=3m42s

I have only one question. Why have you never "TRIED" to change this situation?

RàinbowFeb 10, 201615 votes

"At that point we should have clearly communicated this to you guys, which we didn't. That sucked and it's our bad."

I'm honestly tired of hearing what you guy's "should've" done. If you guy's "should've" done it, why didn't you do it? You guys always do this.. You mess up and then say "But what's important is that we learn from our mistakes." No, what's important is that you fix what you mess up, learn from it and THEN move on.

PaladinNOFeb 10, 201617 votes

Ofc. people wants to play SR over any other mode...that's the only map where 1) there is champion mastery points to be had, and 2) it's clearly the only map to which you seriously devotes any effort in balancing.

And as for the reward icon, try setting a date allowing us all to get to those 100 wins, and check your numbers again then.

Honestly, right now I just fear for my ARAM, and how that is probably next in line to stand in front of the execution sqaud.

RiotL4T3NCYFeb 11, 201630 votes

We're referring to Dominion's popularity back in the world just after it released (totally agree it's far from an attractive choice today). Even back then, at the 'peak' of its hype, players were already bouncing off it reasonably quickly, when it arguably had the most support ever.

Also there's no plans to remove ARAM.

QuephaFeb 11, 201660 votes

{quoted}

Also there's no plans to remove ARAM.

Until today, as far as we knew, there were also no plans to remove Dominion.

Zenthon PrimeFeb 11, 201614 votes

Officially, no. But you'd be a fool to not see this coming.

XonraFeb 11, 20168 votes

{quoted}

Until today, as far as we knew, there were also no plans to remove Dominion.

It doesn't feel like that long ago riot were still commenting on ranked Dominion. They keep wondering why we have trust issues, and then pull something like this lol

TahngarthorFeb 11, 201612 votes

{quoted}

We're referring to Dominion's popularity back in the world just after it released (totally agree it's far from an attractive choice today). Even back then, at the 'peak' of its hype, players were already bouncing off it reasonably quickly, when it arguably had the most support ever.

Also there's no plans to remove ARAM.

You have named some reasons why you think dominion failed, but the deck has been stacked against it and all other alt modes from the start:

barely ever supported with fixes/adjustments. You already know this ya ya ya bla bla bla. If you continued to work on it and refine it, it could have worked out better. But... money money money! I'm sick of great games being ruined because money. "When it had the most support ever?" It was never supported. It was DOA.
No champion points. Make a reward that can't be obtained in a particular queue is a strike against participation in that queue. 3v3 and ARAM both need champion points.
No ranked queue. Another incentive to play that was missed. I don't think 3v3 would be doing anywhere near as well if it didn't have a ranked queue. Draft mode normal doesn't count.

nguyenmbFeb 11, 20168 votes

{quoted}

when it arguably had the most support ever.

I'm not sure everyone is using the same definition of 'support'

To me, support means, diagnosing why players aren't playing and changing improving the game to address those conclusions

If there was 'support' in its launch, what were the conclusions of why people were stopping and going back to SR? What was done to address that? What ACTIONS were taken?

What we only see from the player's POV is:

Developer conclusion: "capture & hold style of gameplay didn't translate well into a MOBA" Developer Reaction: Don't spend the time and resources to iterate and fix.

That is not support. Support requires action.

If Riot made a totally brand new game, and people were trying it, and leaving it in droves, what type of 'support' will that game have?

Rot PandaFeb 11, 20167 votes

L4t3ncy, I hope you get this message.

You should not be the one making this announcement, the Employee that has long since stated that Dominion hasn't and won't ever be properly supported should have been making this post( and when I say this post I meant the Retiring Dominion one)

Dominion had a community, one that waited for over 3 years for their ranked mode which was promised, hell it was said to be "Just a flip of a switch" away when Dominion was released.

There are also the lovely examples of neglect of balance like the 7 weeks thresh ruled over the Crystal Scar in season 4. Patch 4.4(March 18th, 2014) to Patch 4.7 (May 8th, 2014) Thresh was getting 4 stacks per soul on Dominion, leading to thresh players being nearly unkillable if they built health and MR.

But alas, this isn't a retirement of a game mode, its the burial of the rotted husk of something that was fun.

Looks like Morello succeeded in his plans of not wanted "Other game modes to split players from Classic(Summoners Rift)"

James StoneFeb 10, 20165 votes

{quoted}

Couldn't agree more that LoL needs some better options for "shorter game modes". We do what we can with Featured Game Modes when they release.

I want to address the "chicken & egg" analogy for Dominion support here as well. The large majority of players immediately bounced from the mode even when it was first released, preferring Summoner's Rift gameplay instead. The "capture & hold" style of gameplay didn't translate well into a MOBA and players voted strongly with their time: they spent it in SR instead.

We certainly could have spent the time & resources to design out the problems and mitigate floors in Dominion, but we recognised an already better experience existed in SR. It had more strategic choice, clearer game-state and a wider variety of satisfying roles. The team chose to double-down on SR instead of splitting between both SR and Dominion. At that point we should have clearly communicated this to you guys, which we didn't. That sucked and it's our bad.

Dominion's map shape + capture & hold gameplay was going to have diminishing returns for design time spent on it: and players still just wanted to play SR. I believe League is in a better place today for the time and effort we spent doubling down on SR, rather than splitting focus on Dominion.

I call bullshit. You would not do Dominion as a Featured Game Mode. Unless you mean adding a few Crystal Spires to Summoner's Rift and calling it a day, which you'll probably do in the future and then use it as "proof" that Dominion would never work when no one plays it.

URF, Ascension, One For All, Hexakill, Doombots, Snowdown... What do these have in common? No new art assets were required, besides the sandstorms in Ascension. It was all gameplay changes, and I'm not arguing if they were intensive or not, but I highly doubt even a single, lonely percentage of the art team's salary was earned through work on the Featured Game Modes.

No, you wouldn't do it because Dominion is the result of a time Riot still had some heart, which I'm say, as a long, LONG time player, is getting smaller and smaller by the year. Guess it's another way lore gets completely separated from gameplay. Figures.

ThrëatFeb 10, 201610 votes

{quoted}

Couldn't agree more that LoL needs some better options for "shorter game modes". We do what we can with Featured Game Modes when they release.

I want to address the "chicken & egg" analogy for Dominion support here as well. The large majority of players immediately bounced from the mode even when it was first released, preferring Summoner's Rift gameplay instead. The "capture & hold" style of gameplay didn't translate well into a MOBA and players voted strongly with their time: they spent it in SR instead.

We certainly could have spent the time & resources to design out the problems and mitigate floors in Dominion, but we recognised an already better experience existed in SR. It had more strategic choice, clearer game-state and a wider variety of satisfying roles. The team chose to double-down on SR instead of splitting between both SR and Dominion. At that point we should have clearly communicated this to you guys, which we didn't. That sucked and it's our bad.

Dominion's map shape + capture & hold gameplay was going to have diminishing returns for design time spent on it: and players still just wanted to play SR. I believe League is in a better place today for the time and effort we spent doubling down on SR, rather than splitting focus on Dominion.

The reason I believe people didn't play dominion had nothing to do with lack of strats, etc, but instead lack of reward for getting good at that mode. If you get good at SR then you'll get a higher rank which comes with the bragging rights / feel good experience. If you get good at dominion it literally leaves you with nothing but the fun of it and this game is full of people that like the competitive ladder climbing experience.

If you guys put in a ranked dominion mode I guarantee the amount of players that play that game mode will increase 10 fold.

Rew711Feb 11, 20167 votes

Its been asked time and time again, but the real issue is you guys didn't even try. How can I believe that what was said is true? All you guys did was add a mode, and just left it there. It didn't even take me a year before I started branching off from Summoner's Rift. I never knew how boring it was on Summoner's Rift until I found more fun in all three of the other modes.

But, there are even greater reasons why people more than likely played Summoner's Rift more than Crystal Scar.

First, there are (or was) 4 modes of play on Summoner's Rift; Blind Pick, Draft Pick, Team Builder, and Ranked. So, primarily, a good half the community will be playing Ranked. Another huge portion would be using Team Builder due to its ability to give auto locks with no rage. And then two other abilities that probably match up with, or equal, how many people play the other modes. So, if we just used Blind and Draft picks, it might even the playing field by just that much.

Second, new players don't start off with bots matches in any other mode but Summoner's Rift. (Which is yet another mode for Summoner's Rift.) This also means that it makes other modes feel all the more unnatural to play at first.

Third, Summoner's Rift got a ton of added features. Not only a completely new look, but it is the only mode to allow Mastery. Something we have asked to be branched out for a year now.

And lastly, you pretty much are messing up Summoner's Rift as it is. People are more likely actually going to Dominion rather than Summoner's Rift. I've seen countless Threads on here speak of people having more fun in the Crystal Scar and how its more balanced there than it is in Summoner's Rift. How can a mode that gets barely any changes at all be more balanced than Summoner's Rift? Maybe because you really do put too much time and effort into a mode that could use gradual changes rather than forced ones.

You think people were mad, sad, and alienated when Team Builder was taken away? Think again when this mode is removed. I'm starting to think its not worth it spending my next few months trying to collect all of the champions you guys released. And I'm only 37 away. I want to play something other than Summoner's Rift, and the only one now that is fun is ARAM.

If possible, a quick, fast and painless game mode you once upon a time let out was none other than Showdown. You also have a new version of a ARAM map, Butcher's Bridge. People want a fast paced mode, right? Why not just put this one in the game? Put it under ARAM, and have people be given random Champions to face off in a 1 on 1 (or 2 on 2) face-off. It would be a awesome replacement.

DeafeyesFeb 11, 20165 votes

"We certainly could have spent the time & resources to design out the problems and mitigate floors in Dominion, but we recognised an already better experience existed in SR...we should have clearly communicated this to you guys, which we didn't. That sucked and it's our bad."

Yeah, we get it. Dominion doesn't make you money and The Rift does, just say it bluntly or else your communication is somehow going to get even worse than it already is. Do the dominion community a favor and DON'T bring back dominion as a featured game mode, where you try to insert balance and healthy gameplay in it and end up making it less fun. If you want it gone, leave it gone, don't give us another Aoi Shin. I would move to play Twisted Treeline, but with evidence supporting the fact that you really couldn't care less about maps other than Rift it isn't arguing slippery slope anymore, and it will become a reality when Twisted Treeline gets removed since there are hardly any updates to it.

A perfect example rests in ARAM. A fan-made game mode that was once played with non-official games in The Rift. A game mode that receives updates along with Rift, and a game mode that people continue to play even though you can't choose your own champion!. A mode that got an event tied to it and it was transformed into Butcher's Bridge. I don't believe you can say "players still just wanted to play SR" right now, no new players are going to want to touch something that is 4 years old and abandoned.

I've seen Riot's decision as simply giving up on a project and trying to disguise it behind friendly words and a-no-immediate-rewards perspective. There are no recent updates or talks about dominion, there was no rising to the occasion that the public could see.

Now a year and five months later_"Fancy Wolf's"_ wish is finally coming true. I hope to join him soon. ( http://forums.na.leagueoflegends.com/board/showthread.php?t=4847224&page=1#post49806086 )

Insert all my remaining sadness and anger here #itWasFastitWasFunitIsDone

OurLestradeFeb 10, 201611 votes

I still think they just needed to make the LCS dudes do some stuff on it rather than using the same map every year, just to shake things up. It would do wonders for the map, AND put a spin on the pro play people.

CactiRedFeb 10, 20167 votes

ye, I love summoners rift, but LOL isn't just about one map. They could do a Dominion ranked series if It got re-worked

SasogwaFeb 10, 201611 votes

I would like to get ask any red : What does it cost to let dominion how it is? Why would you remove something people are fine with? We don't care if you don't update it or care about it, as long as people do not mind if you don't change anything. I would REALLY like to know. Why?

CactiRedFeb 10, 20165 votes

I couldn't agree more, the only real issue with Dominion is que's and that,to an extent is out or Riot's control

ToreniaFeb 11, 201611 votes

I cannot believe this is happening. I had felt good when Riot said they had no plans of removing Dominion because of the small but strong community it had.

I played League since Maokai's release years ago. The game as nice as I continued to play but the long matches were unattractive for me as was the speed of the game. When I saw Dominion was coming out I had very high hopes and wasn't disappointed. I sincerely enjoyed the pace of the game and how quick to action everything was. Even now, I been playing again a lot (check match history) and remembering how much I loved it. Then, I heard from a friend this news and hoped it was wrong...

I knew Dominion always was on the backburner as far as Riot was concerned but the very least it wasn't removed made me feel better. Yes, they rarely wanted to put any hype into it as to avoid taking people from SR away. I was already saddened when they removed the Dominion section of the board thus making it even harder to communicate with others. I made various friends from Dominion nonetheless and even got to play with a Riot member for my 1000th win (Davin, fellow Thresh lover) and hoped to for 2000th win again or even 1500th win which is very near.

In the end, the small community is pushed aside... with all the hours and $ (to support, though I guess it was pretty much just for SR and other things not related to Dominion) into it. While the icon is a nice touch, it really is just a tombstone for players like me who primarily played Dominion with the odd ARAM thrown in. Now, this is will be gone. To be honest, part of me doesn't want to even go on League at all for the sadness that this brings and to remember. Sure, I can go on for a last hurrah but what is the point? There is always Heroes of the Storm for the speed but I really enjoyed Dominion more and the transparency that Riot gives as well as the speed it does updates even if Dominion was, again, on the backburner. And no, there were no long queues. Waiting 1-7 min isn't considered a long queue to me.

It is a very sad day... I really don't want to stop playing League but for the small community that loved Dominion where else is there for us to go? I suppose it doesn't matter, the money lost for maintaining Dominion doesn't really make up for how much that small community spent.

I suppose I will have to consider if League just becomes, just like ARAM, that odd match I may play. I will certainly miss everyone I met in that game. I will definitely miss the game style itself. I know players will make fun of us for caring but if they can imagine their SR being taken away maybe they'd understand. Nothing short of a miracle can save this but I really have my doubts as far as money is concerned when comparing to SR. But I will try anyway... Please don't remove my Dominion... ---Sincerely, a Dominion player since launch, Torenia.

Edit: I wouldn't mind a rework really if the pace was kept...

ThubanFeb 10, 20168 votes

"We might have been able to break out of that downward spiral with more dedicated resources"

Horseshit, they have plenty of resources. Nothing but a PR excuse to make it seem they can't do anything.

Alas, it's a damn fun mode, pity to see it go away. Now if Featured Game Modes would come around more often than once a year, we could all forget this ever happened.

All the more reason to play Smite.

TerraRisingFeb 11, 20168 votes

While you may love Dominion, Riot's made it crystal clear that they have no love for you.

MinardeFeb 10, 20167 votes

Despite being utterly abandoned by its developers immediately after launch, Dominion continued to chug along. It was inspiring as a symbol that SR's basic game flow wasn't the only way to enjoy League. Even as Riot kept "forgetting" about the map, even as Dom kept being overlooked while Riot was handing toys to SR, Dominion kept going. Now on the cusp of adding Hextech Crafting, Riot decides to outright delete the map rather than figure out drop rates.

Overall, Dominion had great charm that was unfortunately overshadowed by Riot's neglect.

Gnart Even CloseFeb 10, 20165 votes

Dominion is awesome! The only things I want are more people playing it (shorter queue times), the new champ select, and an updated map. All of the mechanics in it are really cool. They have absolutely no reason to remove it other than the fact that their neglect of it has left it much less played than Summoner's Rift. Riot needs to change that, and I know that once they do, more people will play it. ARAM is pretty successful because it actually has a decent amount of support. If Dominion gets it, people will play it. Once people play it, the queue times will be better. Once that happens, more people play, etc, etc. I don't really care about the BS Riot was giving about not fracturing player bases. In NA at least, there are more than enough people playing to keep all the modes relevant as long as there is some support.

AkesgerothFeb 11, 20164 votes

But Dominion isn't used for eSports so they don't care.

ObericFeb 10, 20163 votes

Surge and Promote were redesigned for the release of Dominion. When they fell out of favor on SR, they were removed from both maps. This did major damage to Dominion and I believe just putting Promote and Surge back into Dominion would do wonders for it.

It wouldn't take much to salvage Dominion and not need to remove it. Get rid of either blind pick or draft for Dominion (to consolidate queues), and maybe put in ranked like you said you would so many years ago.

One good front page post and Dominion would have a real playerbase.

FatTacoFeb 10, 20163 votes

Fuck this company. Every 2 weeks in this season there's more shit news. Kind of bored of not being excited for any patches. I was a big supporter of Season 6 SR and now 3 official patches in and it's not fun. I think I'm pretty much done with this game now. I only come back when they change my favourite champions (e.g. Ryze) to see if I can find fun in them still. I don't even like the meta or the pro play anymore, I honestly play 2 roles and only use about 5 champions all together. If I can have fun with a character I keep signing in but now each month more champions are being changed in ways that are just boring to me and now you're killing the small percentage of Dominion fans just really sticks out with how much you could give a damn about your loyal community. People say this game will die soon if Riot keeps the way they are going, I never believed it but now it's really coming clear. The loyal fans will fall off, move on and it won't be hip anymore because the loyal fans are the ones keeping this game popular and bring in new players (especially streamers/YouTubers). I used to buy Riot Points to support the company more than my own selfish reasons and now I honestly don't want to spend another penny. Sad day. item 3070 Skarner

LIfetrocityFeb 11, 20163 votes

I had 98 wins earlier today when this announcements went live...

Rioters, might there possibly be an exception here for those who are in the 95-99 range since this whole thing was a complete surprise?

Zange UtahimeFeb 11, 20163 votes

Like, cmon, Dominion isnt a thing i play daily... but when i feel like shit, play like shit and act like shit - all i want is some fun RIGHT THERE. I dont even need changes, i think it's okay as it is... im afraid re-work would change everything and ruin it :S So just please... for once like a freaking normal company - and listen. LISTENFFS.