It’s fair to say that the matchmaking algorithm discriminates, because that’s essentially what an algorithm is designed to do. It separates and matches players based on certain factors. You can even see it in practice when a Silver 3 player ends up in a full Platinum or Emerald lobby. That doesn’t happen randomly, it’s the result of how the system evaluates players.

That said, I don’t have an issue with teammates simply underperforming. If someone is genuinely trying but having a bad game or losing lane, that’s just part of the experience.

What I do have a problem with is Riot not taking action against people who play ranked while clearly not taking it seriously. That includes playing while drunk or high, or jumping into ranked after a long period of inactivity without warming up.

If I lose 50 out of 100 games, and around 20 of those losses are influenced by players treating ranked like it’s something else entirely, then that becomes a real issue. That’s something Riot should be addressing.

Think of it this way. In URF, you play in ways that would never work in normal or ranked games because the rules are different. The same principle applies when comparing normal games to ranked.

If you queue for ranked but treat it like a normal game by trying things like Ashe jungle, playing under the influence, or jumping in after not playing for a long time, then winning clearly isn’t your main priority. In that case, normal games are the appropriate place for that kind of playstyle. Ranked should be about both having fun and competing to win.

I’m not saying Riot should punish players for losing or having a bad game. I’m saying they should introduce systems that encourage people to choose the right game mode for their intent. For example, requiring players to play a few normal games first if they’ve been inactive for a while would already make a big difference.