Riot Goes Nuclear on League of Legends Boosting—And The Devs Aren’t Apologizing

Account boosting has been the ugly open secret in League of Legends for pretty much its entire lifespan. Riot’s infamous ranked ladder has always attracted boosters-players who profit by climbing the ranks on someone else’s account-and even though everyone hates it, it’s never seemed like Riot did much more than slap a warning on a dev blog. But starting with patch 25.18 on September 10, that’s about to change in a big way. And this time, Riot isn’t mincing words-or pulling punches with those profiting from the whole mess.

Key Takeaways: This Isn’t Your Typical “Please Don’t Cheat” PSA

• Riot is finally deploying actual detection and punishment systems targeting account boosting—violators will be banned on sight.
• The crackdown covers solo boosting, duo queue boosting, and even account selling/sharing shenanigans.
• Riot’s Head of Product, Drew Levin, fired off a savage takedown at boosters complaining about the changes—reminding everyone of the harm boosting causes to the wider community.
• This is way more personal and direct than Riot’s usual corporate tone—signaling they’re genuinely fed up and ready to clean house.

Why Riot’s Going So Hard After Boosters Now

It’s honestly about time. For years, ranked play has been undermined by smurfs (high-level players on throwaway accounts), boosters, and rank manipulation. If you’ve ever landed in a “clown fiesta” game getting stomped by a random 48-2 Yasuo, you know the pain. And while Riot’s rules always banned the practice, everyone knew enforcement was half-hearted at best.

But this year, League has seen some rough patches—everything from bugs and grindy rewards to new competitors nipping at its heels (yeah, Riot, we noticed the Wild Rift AI trailer debacle). With trust eroding, Riot can’t afford to ignore problems that directly screw up the competitive ecosystem. It’s clear that part of saving League’s future is cleaning up the ranked ladder, not just adding new champs and skins.

Savage Dev Drama: Riot’s Drew Levin Isn’t Here to Make Friends

Here’s the part that really got my attention: when a self-admitted booster took to X/Twitter complaining these changes would ruin his income (“what I do after? Just chill at McDonalds?”), Riot’s head of product Drew Levin didn’t just ignore or corporate-speak away the critique. He shot back: “Bro you do understand that you have built a business off of ruining other peoples’ games right? I have no desire to preserve that at the expense of whatever lobbies you’re boosting accounts through.”

He even topped it off with a repost containing a link to McDonald’s careers after the booster doubled down. I love this kind of public pushback—most AAA studios would have buried the exchange to avoid drama. Instead, Levin basically told boosters to get rekt and reminded the community that, yes, the devs know exactly why this stuff ruins the game. For veteran players tired of corporate silence, this is the kind of backbone we rarely get to see.

The Real Impact for Everyday Players

No matter where you sit on the ladder, this is a win for anyone who actually wants to get better at League (instead of paying someone to inflate their ego). The most frustrating games often come down to suspiciously lopsided matches—where you’ve probably crossed paths with a booster or a “hitchhiker” riding shotgun to boost MMR. Riot promising “immediate bans” puts real teeth behind their anti-boosting stance for the first time.

This also means that if you’re one of the people throwing cash at boosters instead of just playing and improving, you’re on notice. It’s about more than “just a ban”—there’s a sense that Riot’s serious about reclaiming the competitive integrity that got so many of us hooked in the first place. Finally, if you’ve got a legitimate second account (and, let’s be honest, who doesn’t?), Levin explicitly said “legit alts [will be] safe.” If you’re not boosting, you’re probably fine.

Why Community Pushback Is Good—for Once

If this crackdown ruffles feathers, good. Boosters have thrived for too long, and Riot’s frank, borderline-savage communication around the topic is long overdue. After a decade of “we’re always monitoring and acting” boilerplate, seeing a dev team actually call out the real, human costs of cheating—and then architecting actual systemic fixes—feels like a minor miracle.

Patch 25.18 (September 10) genuinely feels like a line in the sand. Will Riot stick to the banhammer promise long-term? As always, enforcement will be the true test. But if you like playing League of Legends on a level field—or just want to see boosters finally face real consequences—this is the most hopeful moment in years.

TL;DR

Riot is finally taking boosting seriously in League of Legends, with permanent bans starting in patch 25.18. Their new, blunt communication shows they mean business—and if it works, ranked play might finally feel fair again. If you’re a booster, better brush up your fast food applications. For the rest of us? Fingers crossed for cleaner games at last.