Keep Twisted Treeline

Introduction:

With the linked /Dev post regarding the State of Non-SR Gamemodes released, we were given the unfortunate news that The Twisted Treeline is being removed completely from the game at the end of the 2019 Season. This is a mode with a notably smaller, but dedicated playerbase, much like Dominion before it. From what I've seen the decision has so far been met with mostly negative reception.

As I read the /Dev post I couldn't help but notice a few issues I take with the decision.

** Maintained Playerbase Despite Years of Neglect**

Two key points here:

• The mode hasn't had a patch in 4 years

• The rework in 2012 was not well received but nothing was ever done about it.

I can't claim to have played the mode prior to the rework, as I had onyl played one or two games prior to 2012, and didn't start seriously playing until 2013. However, I know from all of the posts I've seen that people didn't really like the rework, and after it the mode went straight off of Riot's radar. Despite the poor reception to the rework and utter lack of updates and balance changes it still has a dedicated playerbase after four years. Clearly something keeps these players.

It could be shorter game time, more room to showcase player skill (as someone else said, easier to 1v5 on TT than 1v9 on SR), requiring fewer friends to queue as a team, different meta from the rift; whatever the reason, people do like the mode. That's without Riot touching it for years. That should tell you this can be made to work, it's capable of success.

But no. Riot's just going to let the mode sit in squalor for 5 years and then say "our attempts to improve it haven't worked, it's not up to modern standards so we're removing it". What? There haven't been attempts to modernize. There haven't been attempts to balance. There haven't been attempts to boost it's popularity. Just nothing for years and then a sudden decision to cut the mode.

Twisted Treeline that literally meets the criteria for modes described in the /Dev post as modes that they want to focus on.

the Modes Team is focusing all of our attention on improving the existing long-term game modes

THATS TWISTED TREELINE! It is a proven model of replayability. The game hasn't been changed in 4 YEARS AND PEOPLE ARE PLAYING IT.

Throw some balance changes it's way. Update the turrets, minion stats/spawn rules, look at possible updates to Vilemaw or the Shrines. If you think the meta is unhealthy you have plenty of tools to adjust the map, and ARAM has established that mode specific champ buffs/nerfs are both feasible and successful adjustments.

At the same time you tweak the mode you use your modern resources to incentivize people try the mode; this is where missions can come in. Don't make them missions that requiring massive/continuous grinding like we got with Nexus Blitz. Things as simple as "Play a game of TT", "capture both shrines", "capture x shrines". Things that can be accomplished in 1-5 games. And you can make most if not all of the missions be something like BE or XP rewards. Want levels faster? Hop into TT for the weekly missions. Straight up could have a second "first win of the day" thats specific to TT. If people want to level faster they can try it, if they don't care they won't lose out on anything. That's how you use a mode specific mission to entice players instead of burn them out.