Gold players are now stuck in silver 5!

People who were gold last season, but typically seeded into a lower division is a result of their MMR. This season was relatively rough, dropping most people unless you have incredibly good MMR. Then people are unable to return to their former ranking.

Reasons:

• Inability to adapt.
• Unfit for previous rank.
• Poor champion pool.

Gold borders in Silver MMR is nothing special. A lot of players will climb to G5 before the end of the season, and quit playing ranked. They didn't have amazing MMR to begin with, and being inactive for such a long time probably doesn't help.

This isn't anything new, many gold players just climb to gold 5 and stop ranked until the next season, while their MMR is still somewhere around the silver 1 range.

When a new season rolls in, it is expected to be placed in a lower rank so people are obliged to climb, unless their 1) MMR is somehow higher than usual or 2) they perform extremely well in their placements, then otherwise the would be placed at or above their previous season rank.

most people who primarily solo Q are stuck in a division lower than they should be. It's because of the legal boosting a.k.a. dynamic Q.

Because many of those gold players are actually average players, maybe mid silver, but play so many games they eventually end up in gold V. The ranking system is made so if you win 50% of your games, you'll slowly climb. As long as that player isn't a huge liability, he'll eventually get to gold, it's that simple.