I uninstalled League of Legends today: A Sincere Thank You to Riot & the Community

... and most other games on my pc. ######(this is not a 'league is dying' post & comments of the like are not welcome here) I'll be 30 this year.

I live with anxiety and depression. What started out as a hobby to help me escape reality from time to time became a very real addiction through my teens and young adulthood. And when I'm at my worst, my gaming addiction helps enforce my willingness to hide away from the world for days or weeks at a time without taking care of myself physically or mentally. The last two to three weeks have been really good for me, and in an effort to keep up the positivity, and to continue to embrace the outside world, I uninstalled League.

I actually cried a little bit. I truly believe the healthiest thing is for me to say goodbye to any game that I've spent more than 1000 hours on, such as LoL. But it's still really hard to actually go through with it. I genuinely love the game. With the exception of seasons 1 and 7, I held watch parties every year for Worlds. I've cosplayed, painted fanart, and met some of the coolest people I know through League. It has been a huge part of my identity for years.

This is a change that I want for myself. I don't want to use gaming as a crutch or as an unhealthy distraction from dealing with life. But major changes like this are hard and scary and I will miss it like an addict misses their cigarettes.

I think League of Legends is an incredible game. I wish I didn't have such an addictive personality and that I could handle a gaming hobby without it becoming toxic to my mental health. I think of the years when I had little other than League to focus on and I am grateful for the creative teams behind the game. I think of my friends and the amazing content creators inspired by League throughout the years and I'm sure I will continue to enjoy the lore and the magic behind Runeterra. Thank you Riot for creating a game and a world I could escape to when I needed it most. But now it is time for me to retire from the game.

I suppose this written farewell is for my own closure. To help me stick to my decision.

But to the rest of you...

Have fun on the Rift.

[sg-soraka]