What A Suspension Does: Why You Are No Longer Part of the Game

So I got myself suspended back in August. At first I thought the punishment itself was lesson enough. Stooping down to a trolls level and having a screaming match with them for 35 minutes is something you shouldn't do, and I learned the hard way. To this day I still think my punishment was unfair (I had never had a chat restriction before of any amount, instead going straight to a 14 day suspension for an argument with another player which included NO death threats, racism, or sexual content) and the additional "You no longer get your hard earned season rewards" took almost all the wind out of my sails to push for Gold by the end of the season.

But then it dawned on me, something far worse has happened to me since I came back from my suspension!

As much of a shock as this may seem... My reports do absolutely nothing!

Now I know what you will say "One report doesn't make you judge, jury, and executioner. It takes multiple reports to get action against another player." And to this I agree. But I remember something happening before my suspension that hasn't happened since. If a player was terrible to me, toxic, afk, or used unnecessary levels of verbal abuse (racism, sexual comments, death threats, etc) I, and usually my teammates barring them agreeing with my dissatisfaction with said teammate, would report the player, and I would do my own method of following up. Usually on Op.gg or something similar, to see if they were still posting matches a few days later.

Since I've returned from my suspension I've had death threats, remarks about family members, racism, trolls, afk, feeders. As I'm sure everyone who reads this has, but something changed. The matches where all 4 teammates were wronged by the player intentionally, say a troll who just curses out the team and feeds for whatever reason, where as in the past I would follow up to see them not posting a match for a week or so (which I could only assume was a suspension after they posted daily matches consistently) now when I check I see nothing has happened. I wait patiently for the pop-up I read about that gives you the sweet satisfaction that your player experience matters and riot cares about removing/punishing those who affect it negatively intentionally. But it hasn't come.

And it probably won't. You see, Riot puts more weight into the reports from those who don't report often, and especially those with a clean record. So once you've got a mark on your name, like I now do, it's as thought your voice means nothing.

And that is what's most disappointing.

(AND THE FACT THAT I WON'T GET MY DAMN SEASON REWARDS! I MEAN COME ON, CHAT BAN ME FOR MY FIRST OFFENSE! GEEEEZE!)

Thanks for reading!