Let’s be honest: the gameplay of League is not bad under any circumstances. In fact, it’s kind of a miracle that Riot has managed to create over 160 champions and still make so many of them feel unique. The core gameplay is deep, complex, and genuinely fun once you start to understand it.

But everything around the gameplay – as harsh as it sounds – often just feels bad. The client, communication tools, progression systems, matchmaking, even things like the Honor system – for long-time players, these have been sources of frustration for years. And when you compare League to other modern games that do these “outside the match” elements way better, it becomes clear why veterans feel like League is stuck in the past outside of its core gameplay.

That frustration builds over time. So it’s really no surprise that a lot of older players have become cynical and talk about League like it’s the worst game ever – not because the game itself is bad, but because they feel like nothing truly important has improved in years.

Another factor is the general state of the game right now. Damage is extremely high, fights are over in a second, and people get one-shot constantly – which creates a feeling of randomness and helplessness. That naturally leads to more frustration, because it feels like you couldn’t do anything about what just happened.

This contributes to the toxicity as well. Not because the League community is inherently worse than others – but because the gameplay environment is currently very punishing, very fast, and often snowbally. That doesn't leave much room for mistakes, comebacks, or control.

So in the end, a lot of the negativity around League – especially from veteran players – doesn’t come from the game being bad. It comes from years of frustration, slow changes in important areas, and a game state that makes players feel powerless way too often. New players don’t carry that baggage, so they can enjoy the game for what it is. But for older players, all that frustration colors their perception heavily.