It would no longer be a death sentence to have an AFK player on your team.
In patch 10.24, Riot will implement its early surrender and LP consolation systems, according to today’s behavioral update. This should make it a bit more bearable to have an AFK player on your team.
If players have an AFK teammate, they will have the chance to surrender at the 10-minute mark, however, the vote needs to be unanimous. And to mitigate the unsatisfied loss, you’ll get some LP consolation.
According to product lead Cody “Codebear” Germain, “Multiple variables” will be taken into account in the game before an LP value is determined. To make sure that the mates don’t abuse the system, the LP consolation won’t be awarded to an AFK player or whoever they queue up with. The LP consolation will also be limited “week-over-week.”
Riot will keep an eye on the system and ensure that it operates as intended and “negative LP trends” do not emerge.
These features are part of Riot’s ongoing goal of combating disruptive and toxic behavior. The company has already released certain features as Champion Select reporting and muting so matches don’t start on the wrong foot. And in-game solutions for verbal abuse and a tiered penalty system are also included in 2021 plans.
Both features will hit PBE for a test period during patch 10.23 before its global release in patch 10.24.