Discussion about balance and fun

I know some people that are just leaving the game because they don't find LoL fun anymore. The only thing that has changed in the last years has been balance, so I feel like there's the problem.

Balancing a game is really hard, it is probably the hardest thing to do in designing a videogame. There are a ton of variables you have to take care of to make a game balanced, and you can't leave one variable off or it will cause a character to be unbalanced. LoL has been balancing the game pretty well, and the competitive scene has seen some of the most balanced gameplay ever, but the fun variable has taken a hit. The fun variable is also part of balance. Masahiro Sakurai, creator of Super Smash Bros., he had this to say about balance:

Doing things like simply ‘lowering the performance’ can make games lose its fun. Additionally, making a strong attack weaker can take away from the ‘good feeling’. By making adjustments that get rid of all advantages and disadvantages, it can turn a game into a mediocre one without any challenge.

Rather than directly weakening an attack’s advantageous parts, we’re putting effort into keeping them strong, while adding other weaknesses to them. Like giving the attacks punishable openings, or weakening the character’s mobility or recovery rate. We’re making comprehensive adjustments to characters, even for parts that might seem completely irrelevant.

What do you think? Do you think Mr. Sakurai is right? Do you think the fun factor has taken a hit? Discuss.