Removing URF is a huge loss of revenue for Riot

barrackers1·Apr 15, 2015·5 votes·1,399 views

I know for myself, I just can't bring myself to really play anymore. I know others who feel the same way. URF is just so much more satisfying because you don't have to invest in 20 minutes of "trying to get to my power spike" only for your team to feed and then feel like the entire time was wasted because you never even felt impactful.

URF is great because you can be aggressive and crazy or methodical and strategic and still have a satisfying experience. In normal games, one type of player or the other usually misses out. It's really just the same game, except accelerated. And that's great for people who don't prefer to have to reach 50 minutes to have a good game.

I also noticed that there were A LOT of people who either returned to the game or tried it out again after leaving just because of URF. There were a LOT of people who were noticeably behind on the changes and mechanics of newer champions. I know a lot of elitists will say that URF shouldn't be brought back. But if you don't like it, you can play another mode! That's the great thing about having options. I'm pretty sure that you, Riot, know that the amount of players online has significantly decreased.

23 Comments

chipi99Apr 15, 201510 votes

By strategic are you saying picking the same 8 champs?

barrackers1Apr 15, 20151 votes

Well, I think you're making too many assumptions here. The same thing happens in normal SR. I'd argue it happens more often. I personally found many of the banned champions boring. Sona? One skill shot, a bunch of spammable spells that require no targeting. And a lot of people, like you, complained about it. But honestly, it's just like SR. They are ridiculous if you feed them, but they were not impossible to lane against. I won many lanes against the "OP" champs, even 2v1 many times. I found that my favorite champions in URF were actually the skillshot champs. First I started spamming Ez, but people complained, so I figured I'd challenge myself to something different, so I went with Lucian, both AP and AD, and could.not.stop. It was too fun. But I also had fun with the new Veigar. While people were spamming Sona, Alistar, Wukong, Xin, Fiora, etc., I don't think I ever picked them at all, and it never made a difference to me. I preferred playing champions like Lucian, Veigar, Talon, Rengar, Kog, the not-so-obviously omnipresent champions, and I had a ton of fun.

chipi99Apr 15, 20151 votes

You either got really fed or fed a lot. At least in SR you can catch up if you fall behind.

barrackers1Apr 15, 20151 votes

And by strategic, I meant more of waiting for a power spike. Like, I'd play Veigar and just use my short Q CD to farm 200 bonus AP. Almost got to 1300!

0115D8CFApr 15, 20155 votes

there are A LOT of players who will continue to play and spend money regardless of URF existing or not. the people that are leaving because of URF leaving probably make up a small percent of the total player population and will probably not affect revenue much at all

barrackers1Apr 15, 20151 votes

Sure there are, but why marginalize your revenues?

Agent2090Apr 15, 20151 votes

Riot is a subsidiary of Tencent Holdings, which reported a revenue of nearly $13 billion (CN78.9 billion) in 2014.

Riot Games themselves reported a revenue of $624 million in 2013, before URF even happened, and the game has only gotten more popular from there.

If there is one thing they aren't hurting for, it's revenues. Even if there are a significant number of people that only played League for URF, I highly doubt that them leaving will make any sort of meaningful drop in revenues.

TheHobbitsApr 15, 20154 votes

Do you know why you love urf so much? Its because you don't like LoL any more. Urf was new and therefore different. It would only be a matter of time before you realize that urf too wasn't all that good.

Take a look at yourself and judge how you feel about the game and decide to just leave or stick with it. Maybe try a new game like Smite or Dota.

XrusaApr 15, 20152 votes

Not really a fair reasoning. I love(d) URF because of the faster pace. I also thoroughly enjoy regular modes though.

TheHobbitsApr 15, 20152 votes

"I know for myself, I just can't bring myself to really play anymore."

If this is how you feel about the game like the op, then it is fair.

barrackers1Apr 15, 20152 votes

Not true. I just prefer the faster pace. I love the mechanics of LoL, I just don't have as much patience for it anymore, and my life is busier also, so I like that I can get a "max item game" in such a short period of time. I don't like third person views in any game, so I won't like Smite, and I don't like Dota's "turn speed."

Agent2090Apr 15, 20153 votes

Might like Heros of the Storm then, fairly fast paced(games usually last 15-25 minutes), more focused on teamfights over objectives, and no items, so you don't have to worry about getting that "max item game".

Honestly though, URF is a gimmick, and the nature of gimmicks is they don't last long. Two years and two URFs have gone by and I already found it getting old. Personal preference, of course, so that has no standing on how you view the mode.

TheHobbitsApr 15, 20152 votes

My thoughts exactly and I was just about to suggest Heroes of the Storm next.

DesideriumApr 15, 20152 votes

They know. But they don't care.

URF breathed life into their dying game. Keeping it annual will ensure the longevity of League of Legends. They care about money, and the life of their game, more than what their players want in their hearts: URF.

Don't let them trick you with shit like "oh but it gets hard to maintain" yeah. Sure. Dominion too, eh? What about Aram? You can lie to some of us, but not all of us. The only reason they're not keeping it forever, or even multiple times a year, is because it's saving their game. It won't bring as many people back if it was here all the time. Of course, that means no one's going to leave, but they don't see it that way.

Agent2090Apr 15, 20151 votes

League may get stale sometimes, but it's a long way from dying.

chipi99Apr 15, 20152 votes

Omg dude they care about money? Wtf are they out of their minds? I was forced to pay so much to play the game, now i have to buy their cosmetic content?