Lore blending with the game is not the same as lore interfering with the game.

Rant ahead.

This event has cemented my opinion that the 'old' lore was infinitely better than what we have been given since the retcon.

Ignoring every other smeg-up the lore team has done with shortened bios, et. al, I'm still shaking my head in wonder about the whole 'disable GP because he's dead' situation. How in the heck does this provide interactive lore, from the stance of a MOBA?

Take the introduction of Dominion, for example. If I recall right, there was a huge fight between Demacia and Noxus, the Summoners stopped it by putting the combatants in stasis, and turned the resulting magic found in Kalamanda into a sweet new Field of Justice. It had everything: warring factions, high-profile champions, hell, we even got Skarner out of it!

All of this was done without removing or disabling content anywhere. It gave us stories, it added a map, and we got some cool champion lore out of it.

Now let's take the new lore. Forced in-game events that are almost entirely win-centric (do I even have to explain how bad an idea that is?), and a disabled champion because he's "dead".

.....What?

This doesn't add content, it removes it. Yes, other champions exist, but when you remove one that countless like to play...what does that accomplish? Pissing off the player, and removing them from the experience. You can't do that in this kind of game.

Lore adds. Lore immerses. It does not remove or limit. It immerses the player, it doesn't limit their options when it comes to actually playing.

The fact that the lore team can't see that astounds me. But given their work since the retcon, I'm surprised they even call themselves a lore team anymore. Because what they have delivered has certainly not been lore.

Harsh, but that is what I see.

/rant

Addendum: I feel I may be pressing too hard on the lore team, in hindsight. They cannot be faulted if this is truly a balance issue. If this were primarily a story decision, made to influence lore based on stories outside of the league, then I will stand by my critique.

Side thought that came to mind: Why are events outside of the 'League' affecting those Inside the 'League' when the whole point of the retcon was to separate the 'League' and Runeterra?