What is Soft Inting in League of Legends?

Does Riot Punish Players for Soft Inting in League of Legends?

If you’ve been playing League of Legends for a while, you’ve probably run into a player who’s just not pulling their weight. Maybe they’re farming in the jungle while your team is getting wrecked in a team fight, or they’re off in a sidelane doing who knows what when you’re desperately trying to take down an objective. This frustrating behavior is known as "soft inting," and it’s a big problem in the League community for casual players, elo boosters, and even pro-league players.

What is Soft Inting?

So, what exactly is soft inting? Unlike traditional inting, where a player deliberately feeds the enemy team by dying repeatedly, soft inting is a bit more subtle. Soft inting covers players who aren’t actively trying to lose the game but are also not doing much to help their team win. These players might avoid team fights, focus on farming instead of objectives, or just generally seem to “check out” of the match.

The reasons for soft inting can vary. Maybe they got tilted because a teammate made them mad, or maybe they’ve just given up on the game and are going through the motions without really trying. Whatever the reason, it can be hard to tell the difference between someone who’s soft inting and someone who’s just having a bad game. The telling point is: a player who is soft inting is trying to make you lose the match without getting banned for intentionally feeding. But as you climb higher in the ranks, the difference becomes more noticeable, and the impact on your games increases.

Riot is Boosting Their Response to Soft Inting

Riot Games is well aware of how big a problem soft inting is in League of Legends. In fact, game director Pu Liu recently took to Twitter to ask the community how they think soft inters should be punished. Liu confirmed that Riot has the tools to boost detection of soft inting and is considering how to handle punishments moving forward.

In the past, it was tough to ban accounts for soft inting because Riot’s security system, Vanguard, couldn’t always tell the difference between a player who’s intentionally throwing the game and one who’s just not very skilled. But that’s changing. With machine ID information now available through Vanguard, Riot can potentially start punishing soft inters more effectively, even at the hardware level. Liu’s question about whether to move straight to hardware-level bans or offer some leniency sparked a lot of debate. While many players find soft inting incredibly frustrating, the majority of responses leaned toward leniency, at least initially.

One player suggested that the system should consider factors like how new a player is to the game before handing out punishments. After all, not everyone struggling in a match is doing so intentionally—sometimes, they’re just not very good.

The Potential Risks and Rewards of Boosting Punishments

Boosting detection and punishment for soft inting could significantly improve the gameplay experience in League of Legends. Lately, Riot has seen more and more players abandon the classic game mode (Summoner’s Rift) in favor of ARAM, Swarm, or even Arena. By cracking down on players who drag down their team without outright feeding the enemy, Riot could help create a more competitive and enjoyable environment for everyone.

However, there are some potential downsides to consider. As brutal as Vanguard is when it comes to sniffing out cheats, it’s not perfect. There’s always the risk that a genuinely bad player could be mistaken for a soft inter and punished unfairly. And while Riot has reassured players that Vanguard won’t damage their hardware, the idea of moving to hardware-level bans is still a bit controversial.

The Community’s Take

Interestingly, despite how much the community hates soft inting, most players seem to prefer a more measured approach to punishment; after all, we still remember how badly Vanguard worked during the first weeks after it’s release in LoL. They suggest gathering more data, such as a player’s experience level, before making any decisions. This could help avoid unfairly penalizing players who are simply having a rough game or still learning the ropes.

In the end, the goal is to boost the quality of games in League of Legends by cutting down on soft inting. Whether that means immediate punishments or a more lenient approach, it’s clear that Riot is taking this issue seriously and is working to create a better experience for everyone.

Soft inting is a big problem in League of Legends, but with Riot’s plans to boost detection and refine punishments, we might finally see some progress in tackling this issue. Keep an eye out for updates from Riot and stay tuned for how these new measures will impact LoL!

 

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