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Updates to LeaverBuster

Riot·11/20/2014, 3:16:56 AM·5 votes·2,990 views

TL;DR We’re rolling out a new LeaverBuster system to help reduce the frequency of AFKS and leavers that is also significantly more severe in ranked games.

LeaverBuster is our system for detecting players who frequently leave games or AFK. In the past, we’ve generally erred on the side of caution, and for that reason, many of you have given us the feedback that LeaverBuster hasn’t always seemed effective and some players seemed to just switch to a smurf to dodge the leaving penalties.

With this new update, we’ve implemented a significantly more strict design while providing a clear feedback loop. Our goals are to better educate players that AFKing or leaving a game is not acceptable in League, and punish leavers faster and more severely.

The first time a player leaves a game, they’ll see a pop-up explaining that leaving is not okay and then have to manually agree to not leave future games. If they continue to ruin other players’ experiences, they’ll enter lower-priority matchmaking for a number of games. While in low priority queue, players will experience queue times that are 5, 10, even 20 minutes longer than a player who hasn't left games.

Players will know how many games they have in lower-priority, and if they join a premade group, that group will be notified they are playing with a chronic AFK/leaver and they’ll face the same lower-priority time penalty while that player remains in their group.

While we hope it doesn’t ever happen, but if a player fails to stop AFKing or leaving while in lower-priority matchmaking, continued offenses will result in permanent bans.

 

46 Comments

Grèęd2/26/2015, 11:25:52 PM12 votes

I personally really dislike how they give leaverbuster, i feel like you should only get leaverbuster if you get kicked for afk, or left the game for more than five minutes because my game crashed and when i logged back on, i got leave bust which i feel is completely stupied for this reason. I also got leave bust because i had to log off and log back on in order to do anything at all.

White Dad3/1/2015, 7:18:10 PM9 votes

My only problem with LeaverBuster is the fact that it is a bot. The problem with It being a bot is that it simply does not know whether or not a user is leaving a game (or games) because their Internet keeps on cutting out, or unexpectedly cuts out, or if the user is intentionally leaving.

Firestartertot5/3/2015, 10:27:27 AM6 votes

the new leaverbuster sucks.

Synergiize3/22/2015, 8:56:42 PM5 votes

LeaverBuster isn't a very fair system it bans me for not connecting to games because I'm frozen on the loading screen so I have to restart my computer and by that time the game is about halfway done and i get counted as AFK when i didnt even so much as connect to the match, it's happened several times and I'm on my second account which is at a 20 minute lower priority queue. The LeaverBuster system should only come into play if the person connected to the match and then left or if they connected and were afk

Djamba894/11/2015, 4:36:35 PM4 votes

This system causes more damage to the community then helps. This system doesn't help the people int he game and plus they wont know if there person got a low priority que, so why have it at all? you think it gives the players satisfaction? well if they ALL vote after the match that the person was afk then yes give them the penalty but not automatically..

RightClicksToWin3/2/2015, 11:47:43 PM3 votes

This New System is a JOKE! I leave one game. scramble to get my internet up and running again. come back, we win. now leave buster has me going through 4 matches in low priority queue. WTF riot? I thought this was supposed to be a better system?

Sneaky Badness3/6/2015, 7:19:07 AM3 votes

I know I'm not the first to point this out and I don't understand how much more capable programmers that also created the leaverbuster system as it is now just don't grasp that

NO AMOUNT OF LEAVERBUSTER WILL EVER EVEN SLIGHTLY REDUCE AFKS DUE TO UNAVOIDABLE PERFORMANCE ISSUES!

Unless there's a diabolical people out there living for the thrill of purposely joining games in hopes their equipment will malfunction and run the game for everyone. Then good keep up the good work.

I understand maybe for ranked games the utility but besides that you're just making already frustrated devoted supporters of your game more frustrated and angry.

xXJoeYOwNZzXx157/8/2017, 5:12:47 AM2 votes

I HATE THIS!!!!!!!!! WORST THING TO HAPPEN TO THIS GAME. My computer freezes one time while loading a ranked match and i have to wait 10 mins just to be put in a queue??? Whats the point of even having remakes if this is going to happen? Clearly making someone wait 10 minutes to join a queue is solving all AFK problems. Really getting the point across on me by punishing me for a computer freezing. Good job rito. Maybe make the damn ban 2 or 3 times in a row leaving. Not leaving in the loading screen 1 time at my computers fault and punishing me for it!!

Seclusive Sloth5/23/2015, 5:48:52 AM2 votes

i understand the importance of leaverbuster. but when I make a party and one of my friends have a wait time, I would at least appreciate being able to browse the store or change runes and masteries. instead it completely makes this 20 minutes a waste. please allow me to maneuver the game, especially considering I am not the one who received the wait time.

Joingster J0k3r3/3/2016, 4:26:28 AM2 votes

I think the system should stay in place, but have a reset period. Like if you're the kind of person who leaves a lot and afks a lot then by all means keep increasing they're leaver buster time to an hour. But for those of us who just have misfortunate luck, like a lot, to the point where you don't mean to leave, reset the leaver buster time like every 3 or 6 months. After the allotted time, your leaver buster time goes back to just a warning or at least to 5 minutes. Because theres always gonna be an incident or an overzealous teammate who reports you for leaving or afk'ing if they lose, even if they fed and it wasn't ALL your fault. If you want you can lower the number of incidents it takes to move your leaver buster time up, just reset it all after a few months.

Corrith Rashad7/9/2015, 12:54:02 AM1 votes

I think this whole leave buster thing is awful and should be removed. People who never have issues with their league crashing may like it, but its awful for anyone with connection issues or crashes. I've only left twice my entire time playing with League, yet I have a 20 Que wait time because of all the times that League has crashed on my computer. This last game I was in it crashed and I got right back on, I was active the entire rest of the game, we even won and I still got leave buster. I've even had it where I kept trying to reconnect to their servers multiple times and when i finally was able to join the game the League booted me from the game before I could even do anything. some times i'll get an afk warning right when I get into the game because it took so long on the loading screen.

Anyways I think the LeaverBuster should be banned Or you should be able to appeal to have your LeaverBuster removed!

The LeaverBuster is a heck of a lot worse than having an AFK player. I'd rather have an AFK player.

People don't purposely leave games, especially when they like League.

LeaverBuster is punishment without judgement!

Proxyminers8/8/2015, 10:02:30 PM1 votes

Worst creation ever. Lazy Developers (must be GC idea) in the entire world.

This program was designed for Rank Game and if it was just for Rank Games, I would say go for it, but when it is for all game modes and punishes you for Riots own server issues, or game client crashes because of a faulty patch?

Riot is the #1 Troll in their own game. Watch their LCS, they troll. They troll their own forums. They only care about bringing pain to their customers with unbalanced champions, toxic champions, Verizon Cellular level customer service (btw this means you are one of the worst customer service providers in the USA if not the world), but most importantly: They hate anyone with innovation ideas.

AcdcsKyle8/12/2015, 7:20:13 AM1 votes

I think this is the dumbest thing lol has done in a long time I'm a father of a 6 month and do have to leave some games all unranked mostly aram at that I'm now on a 20 min leavebuster because i most take care of my kid at night so my wife can sleep can get up early since i work mid day shift this is not right to me as a father and game to be put down like this its just not fair

Recon248/28/2015, 7:43:04 AM1 votes

will the leavebuster ever reset the time to 5mins waiting time cause sometimes there are game crash together with the laptop i mean if i had a 10mins waiting time will it ever go back to 5mins or it will just stack up ?

Miles MoraIes10/11/2015, 12:06:58 AM1 votes

Ok so riot, PLS FREAKING FIX THIS OK, i literally dc from one game, reconnect 5 minutes later, no biggy, we lost. my ping literally kicked me out. SO Then the next game i play, i dc again, and then i had to restart my internet. then i try to reconnect but surprise, our team surrendered and i couldnt reconnect. THEN I GET LEAVERBUSTER FOR 20 MINUTES. I had a 10 minute leaverbuster a month ago, at least 40 games ago. THis is unfair to people who try to change their leaver habits but dc or leave just two games in a row and get stuck with the higher leaver amount. this is supid. pls fix this.

Keazi10/22/2015, 4:11:22 AM1 votes

This is the system that makes me wish i could refund my account.

Dexze11/21/2015, 2:21:29 PM1 votes

I'm a little saddened by the leave buster, I try to make a point to be the Synergy specialist in a game, I try to never leave, I have one emergency that requires me to leave and I'm in low priority for 5 whole games, that's depressing.

Zombienoobs12312/19/2015, 12:06:50 AM1 votes

I think leaver buster is useless, they seem to not understand we have a life to live, and that we have random actions appear in our life, not all of us are adults in control of what we do. Some people like me, are children below the age of 15. For example, I went afk from a game for about 1-3 minutes, I joined back, my team were not flaming, and they were ok with it, heck I was carrying before I left. (2/0/0) (This was like 13 mins.in) I left to have breakfast with my FAMILY. Now if Riot were to understand that, and that many others have to do sudden things such as: Power Outage, Eat (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) and even just simply drive somewhere because our parents wanted to go somewhere with no warning. We CAN take action but most parents aren't the type to understand "I can't pause it!" , "I can't leave or else!".

Personally Riot should take more care of it, and be more understanding of the community and what we go threw, now I have to wait 20 minutes for 5 games in a row just so I can join the queue to find a game which takes like 2 mins to find in normals because I decided to be a human and cure my hunger.. Seriously Riot, remove it if you can't figure out how to make the LeaverBuster System fair/balanced. item 3070

Lord AdoniBezek2/10/2016, 5:03:14 PM1 votes

I understand this issue, I have a fairly nice computer and a decent internet connection yet I live in a rural area so it's not the best. Every so often (like once every couple weeks) I have a connection issue which results in me leaving a game and getting placed in a lower priority queue. I understand that this hurts others but honestly, I have no other option of an internet provider at the moment. There needs to be a solution for this so that riot can help all players.

brekurmanji4/2/2016, 3:03:11 PM1 votes

sorry my com is lak. and so my game is left me are not left the game. PLZ lad me play the game

RRmin Hammer12/6/2018, 7:21:02 PM1 votes

You really need to work on a better system like your orange essence system the leaver buster is trash because you get penalized for reasons beyond your control like isp outages/maintenance. Hardware issues or just plan ol not having a up to date pc. Is pathetic that you apply the system in norms as well. The worst part is you can wait through the queue time and the client crashes or bug splats and you don’t get a count removed and you have to wait again. The biggest of all kickers tho is the remake system is used in more ways then one to avoid getting a leaver like ie you play and nature calls so you dc before the client loads giving you team the chance to opt of the game. And they choose not to or what ever then report you after and you get hit with a leave. Fix the shit dude like implement in ranked only, or make Norms a 5 min wait per leave or something. Cause the systems trash

ViktorDrozdetsky2/17/2015, 1:01:27 AM1 votes

I just played a game in which I received a phone call where a family member was trapped outside in the snow about half a mile out. I was afk for a period and came back and contributed greatly to the team, although we were ultimately defeated. Directly after the game I received a leaverbuster notification. I don't think I was reported that quickly so I assume it recognized my "afk-edness". I don't want this to affect anything in my league future negatively and am just hoping it doesn't. Anyway I can get some clarification?

Promeatshield2/19/2015, 5:20:10 AM1 votes

So I have not problems with Leaverbuster I even advised for it in the past, but the thing is, I am queueing with a guy who somehow got Leaverbuster sicced on his account. Which i am fine to do the 10 minute ban, but if you wait in queue for ten minutes and somehow miss the queue, that wait should count for the next queue for that person in the next ten minutes, I understand that people will misuse a longer queue time, but I feel if you served your punishment for the crime you should get the play time.

Thanks

Sneaky Badness3/6/2015, 11:31:12 AM1 votes

Also,

the way that after a player's whole team waits for someones last leverbuster que for 10 minutes you will force them to do it all again if something should disband their group.

Good way to make ysuppoters of your product sorry

Aketuan3/8/2015, 2:35:38 AM1 votes

I love getting a leaver buster thing whenever my computer bluescreens me :(

Umbra Z3/14/2015, 11:25:49 PM1 votes

Riot please consider that when your using a BOT to judge whether or not someone should be punished this thing thinks dc is the same as afk even siri is smarter and shies like freaking deaf. finishes 20 min timer then gets matched with a ranked troll and has to start timer over again like rlly riot -.- and the fact you cant do anything but click leave queue when it starts and how if u do it starts again is stupid! and plz note when you have a timer no one wants to play with you except your best friend since kindergarten who has to go afk for 20 minutes anyway

Viper01313/19/2015, 7:23:56 PM1 votes

WTF RIOT I join a game and it glitches making me not avalible to join and i get leaver buster with 20 minute wait time WORST SYSTEM FOR AFK.a

KCentra3/21/2015, 6:30:39 AM1 votes

I had one game where my computer rebooted for some update (without my knowledge) then couldn't get back to game... in other words if anything happens... BOOM I'm on LeaveBuster. So my questions are

1- How long does your infraction last? Ex: if you don't afk/leave game for XX days/months - does it reset?

2- So how long does LeaveBuster last for? I know it's 5 min for first offense... but how many games does it last for?

Thanks

Dr Tango4/17/2015, 12:21:58 AM1 votes

I'm having some terrible times with leaverbuster- I got put in the 15-minute wait due to a server bug, in that when I tried to load into the game it kicked me with an error message, and then i stopped playing for a while due to the obnoxious wait. About a month later I start playing again, and I am forced to leave for a while. I get back into the game, finish it, and am immediately hit with a 20-minute wait, very few games after finishing my last session of waits. At this point, I have no motivation to play League anymore- it is simply not worth my time. I don't want to play, and I feel that is a very negative reaction that I doubt Riot is trying to achieve with this system. I consider myself a decent member of the community, I only abandon when there is some sort of event that forces me to, and I try my best to be ind and considerate to my fellow players. But this low-priority queue is simply not a reinforcement that encourages better behavior- instead of not leaving games, I don't want to play them in the first place.

pdub295/6/2015, 7:29:42 PM1 votes

LeaverBuster has ruined my LoL experience. I have been loyal since season 1, but this system is just horrific. I'm not going to bother with TLDR details.

boomkiller122/16/2015, 3:52:26 AM1 votes

could i not be in leaver buster

nerdburton2/28/2015, 5:31:24 PM

Yeah, apparently Riot prefers that you feed the other team the whole game due to a 3 or 4 second lag rather than just disconnecting and keeping the other team from earning that extra gold from you.