I've met more than 10 cases where women left their partners because they were addicted to League of Legends.

[Era of not Yakuza]

It all started when I told a friend of a friend that I enjoyed playing video games. She said she left her husband because he played league of legends too much, to the point of having problems at work.

After that I talked to some closes friends, friends of friends, co workers, and all women had very similar stories. Their husbands / boyfriends / grooms lost their jobs or failed college (in some cases PhD) because they failed to meet their commitments and reason was addiction to LOL.
I'm talking about cases where girlfriends sat down to talk, said they couldn't go on if things didn't change. Everyone involved in these stories was 24 to 32, so they were all grown men. In some cases they have forgotten appointments with their girlfriends / wives, some giving up sex, saying they couldn't stop a match online and that teammates would be annoyed.

I have a co-worker who does research about games (in general) and I am trying to convince him to check this further. Do you think there is something in particular about LOL that makes the game more addictive?

 

[Dremorak]

Do you work for Riot?

Edit: On topic: I've never actually met anyone who more than just occasionally dabbled in LOL, but I've met a few people who boast about how many 1000's of hours of DOTA they've played, and they seemed to be functioning adults apart from that (as far as I could tell)

 

[stryke]

Everyone involved in these stories was 24 to 32, so they were all grown men.

Click to shrink...

Maybe only physically

 

[JustJavi]

I'm still yet to meet someone who playes League of Legends. I guess I'm too old.

 

[xxracerxx]

I'm still yet to meet someone who playes League of Legends. I guess I'm too old.

Click to shrink...

Same.

 

[Kolx]

Gamers need to rise to stop this oppression. #Justice4Gamers

 

[EVA UNIT 01]

Ive seen it for several games.
I myself have dealt with depression and social anxiety and almost fell into this trap myself before waking up and bettering my life by pulling a complete 180 for 2 years of my life.
I quit gaming-commited to running and weightlifting.
And now these days i know how to manage my priorities and social commitments better.

 

[Pein]

I don't even know people who play games other than 2k and COD.

 

[Deleted member 10629]

Do you think there is something in particular about LOL that makes the game more addictive?

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Its free, and it is highly competitive. It has that 'one more round' appeal.
Especially if you're starting, you want to try every character available.

I also know people who almost got expelled from college due to bad grades and not going to class.

 

[Caeda]

Not LOL, but Vice recently came out with an article about WOW addiction due to the release of Classic, if that'd help encourage him to study the effects of League more, since it shows that the idea of addiction in regards to massively online games is still a topic covered.

 

[Teeth]

I feel like in cases like the ones you're describing, the addiction is a symptom of other problems in their life (stress, lack of value in work or relationships, frustration with unfulfilled expectation, etc) that is exacerbated by the game rather than because of it. I imagine the social and competitive aspect of LoL makes it worse though.

 

[duckroll]

I just had a long chat with a friend in Saturday about LOL. We were meeting up for lunch but he wanted to talk to me about gaming addiction and LOL in particular because he was worried that he could fall into the hole again. He failed a year of college because of LOL addiction way back, and stopped completely after that. He's been getting back to it recently, and has that fear because now he has a good job, a great girlfriend, and has been putting effort into various things he wants to explore in his spare time. He didn't want LOL to ruin that and wanted to talk about gamification, addiction, and psychology with regards to that.

So yeah it's very real thing that adults are increasingly aware of and it can absolutely ruin lives.

 

[MrChillaxx]

I mean it's either League or some other games. Some people do not know how to manage their time and League games can easily run for 1h if you include queue + champ select + actual gametime and inevitable post game argument about the shitty jungler who totally lost your lane.

It's more noticeable with League rather than say, Cod, because the latter has pretty fast matches and generally if you quit it's not really as big as a deal.

On the other hand, i've had girlfriends throw "jelousy" fits over pre-planned commitments with my raiding guild on Warcraft so it wasn't a babe just one more round sprung out of the blue, more like "you know am gonna be busy this wednesday evening right?"

I think this kinda stuff goes both ways, generally being respectful of each other's time and priorities is a good foundation for a relationship, whoddavethoughtthat

 

[Era of not Yakuza]

Do you work for Riot?

Edit: On topic: I've never actually met anyone who more than just occasionally dabbled in LOL, but I've met a few people who boast about how many 1000's of hours of DOTA they've played, and they seemed to be functioning adults apart from that (as far as I could tell)

Click to shrink...

I think that LOL has a larger user base here in Brazil, so that could explain why they where all LOL players.

Maybe only physically

Click to shrink...

Well, in some cases I would suggest strong depression but most really felt like man childs.

Ive seen it for several games.
I myself have dealt with depression and social anxiety and almost fell into this trap myself before waking up and bettering my life by pulling a complete 180 for 2 years of my life.
I quit gaming-commited to running and weightlifting.
And now these days i know how to manage my priorities and social commitments better.

Click to shrink...

Thank you for sharing your experience. you see, in your case, it makes "sense" that you were addicted
btw, congratulations to you for being able to get over it, it isn't easy, I know from experience.

Its free, and it is highly competitive. It has that 'one more round' appeal.
Especially if you're starting, you want to try every character available.

I also know people who almost got expelled from college due to bad grades and not going to class.

Click to shrink...

Easy access, needs a lot of commitment. Thanks for the contribution. My friend said something very close, based on evolutionary psychology.
And he said that since it was a combat game that could explain the lack of sexual interest

 

[Jawmuncher]

I wouldn't say it's LoL related (Though it pops up a lot because it's so popular). But I think any online MP can fall into the route of "Just one more" and "I can't quit this match". I only ever played LoL back in the day, but I would guess the match length plays a part in things as well though. As other MP fare is typically shorter and to the point unless that has changed.

 

[Deleted member 10551]

This stuff existed before LOL. I think my life spiraled in my college years due to a text-based MUD, and some wild shit happened there.

 

[Tbm24]

I almost ended my senior year of high school with a C because I was hardcore WoW raiding at the time. Falling asleep in class for months without fail. Eventually I hated being awake so much that I just never logged back in to WoW one day. Just said fuck it. In hindsight I feel bad quitting cold turkey like that and just leaving people hanging, but I was young and it was the only way I could think of to stop.

 

[defaltoption]

I'm still yet to meet someone who playes League of Legends. I guess I'm too old.

Click to shrink...

Same so this insane to me that one person can meet 10 who've split

 

[Wink784]

It's like any other addiction, the route causes are the problem. When I was working a job that was unfulfilling to me and was with a partner I deep down knew doesn't really get me as a person I also couldn't wait for each day to end to get stoned or ignore responsibilities playing videogames. And whoever isn't fortunate enough to being able to quit what makes them unhappy for the sake of their mental health will find something that helps them escape reality. LoL just happens to be a particularly deep rabbit hole that's also free.

 

[Jakisthe]

I can count on one hand the number of people I know IRL who even play games, and as far as I know none of them have ever touched League.

 

[dorjjj]

These kind of stories are why I'm kinda afraid of games with MMO aspects. I don't really want to feel the need to make my online teammates happy by either committing more time or training to get better, this just feels like work for me, without the pay-offs.

I don't have the best gaming habits myself, I tend to play new games rather quickly and without much breaks, but I also enjoy not having to play anything for months, were I then can do other stuff and "function normally", if you want to call it that.

 

[Sprat]

Not LoL but one of my friends just got divorced from her husband of 11 years that she had children with because the second he got home be put wow on until the second he went to bed and started shouting at her or the kids if they disturbed him.

He did continue going to work though.

He had been doing that the last two to three years since she got him a gaming laptop for Christmas so she blamed herself for it.

 

[-Tetsuo-]

 

[spam musubi]

I have a lot of friends who play league, but none are into it to this level. I do have a bunch of friends who went way too far with WOW back in the day. I do have some friends who are definitely addicted to mobile gacha games

 

[DarkMagician]

Ugh my boyfriend just plays this 24/7 and doesn't even want to get water for himself or go outside, so his desk is full of trash.

 

[Deleted member 35071]

ironically....i just played LoL for the first time. Because 2 hot french chicks i know play it

 

[A Strong Latte]

I quit playing Dota for my gf. Mobas are too time and attention demanding to be compatible with a relationship

 

[HylianSeven]

I can't really speak for LoL, but I do play Dota 2 and have over 8000 hours in it. It really is just about time management and respecting your partner. I am married and still play. I generally expect, and my wife knows that games generally take about an hour depending on how things go. Usually if she wants to do something she might ask not to start another after the one I'm in, which is fine and reasonable. There have been a few times I have abandoned games when she needed something really important. It hasn't been that often and she is understanding that the games take a while and it puts your team at a huge disadvantage if you abandon, not even mentioning the penalties you get for abandoning.

So I guess to answer OP's question, maybe it's the length of the games? More likely it sounded like the guys just didn't respect their partner and that really led to the breakdown of the relationship.

 

[Verder]

I mean it's either League or some other games. Some people do not know how to manage their time and League games can easily run for 1h if you include queue + champ select + actual gametime and inevitable post game argument about the shitty jungler who totally lost your lane.

It's more noticeable with League rather than say, Cod, because the latter has pretty fast matches and generally if you quit it's not really as big as a deal.

On the other hand, i've had girlfriends throw "jelousy" fits over pre-planned commitments with my raiding guild on Warcraft so it wasn't a babe just one more round sprung out of the blue, more like "you know am gonna be busy this wednesday evening right?"

I think this kinda stuff goes both ways, generally being respectful of each other's time and priorities is a good foundation for a relationship, whoddavethoughtthat

Click to shrink...

jungle main here...
Can't agree with this enough. Not a single game I don't get blamed for bottom losing to a yummi/jinx combo

 

[xxracerxx]

Ugh my boyfriend just plays this 24/7 and doesn't even want to get water for himself or go outside, so his desk is full of trash.

Click to shrink...

Time for a serious discussion.

 

[Messofanego]

Yeah, that sounds plausible and terrifying. Remember that critics and players still use "addictive" as a word to sell a game's quality...it's that conditioned into our vocabulary.

What's the most recent study on videogame addiction, does it go on to explore the reasons like depression, commitment issues, or whatnot? I would like to read it.

 

[Tribal_Cult]

I know very few people who play LoL, but most of them are addicted. It's weird.
Like maybe a couple of them play recreationally and in an healthy way.
One especially is totally going insane over it and Fortnite to the point he barely has a personality, he's just the weird guy who plays a lot and has zero friends.

 

[AllMight1]

Kinda why i never commit to MMO's, take too much time and only some are actually rewarding (although this is a subjective topic).

I do like Destiny 2 because you can play in short bursts.
Never played LOL, i know im not missing anything.

Will play PSO2 when it's out on NA.

Currently playing Shenmue 3, I enjoy too much just training and fighting in the game. I use gaming as inspiration to train at the gym everyday. If I don't train, i get depressed.

 

[Daysean]

Same OP
Seen it for LoL and WoW

 

[Deleted member 29195]

I have seen many people ruin their lives over WoW and LoL.

I've also seen many relationships spiral and video games be the easy thing to blame. Relationships are messy.

 

[BubblegumNemesis]

Maybe only physically

Click to shrink...

End thread 😎

 

[Hate]

How is it any different from other games?

I also know a couple of friends who met through LoL and Mobile Legends and became a couple.

 

[angelgrievous]

addiction is a hell of a thing.

Be it alcohol or drugs, gambling or video games

it has the potential to destroy lives.

addiction is a mental health issue and should never be looked down upon.

the best we can hope for are services provided to help people struggling with addiction.

Click to shrink...

dismissive bullshit that shouldn't be allowed.

 

[RestEerie]

i read the title and for some reason, i am thinking the opposite...i.e. the women left their partners because they (the women) were addicted to LOL. Took me a minute to realize the 'they' refers to the other spouse of the women.

 

[Saint of Killers]

How could you expand this to find out if it isn't just LoL centric? Or is it that it doesn't matter and concentrating on one game would be fine? NOT a loaded question; I'm not a LoL fan, just interested in how research like this would work.

 

[Deleted member 13560]

Had a guy at work that had a divorce because of his addiction to LoL. He was always talking about how well he managed his time with his hobbies before his divorce. I kinda felt bad for the guy. Only reason we found out why she left him is because she lost it on him at a social gathering. I felt even worse for her because she was telling him how all she wanted was his attention some of the time.

The icing on the cake was that there were enablers at work trying to tell him that it wasn't an issue and that it wasn't like he was on drugs or an alcoholic or anything and that she was just being selfish.

 

[Crow Pudding]

The first question I have is how those people found a girlfriend to begin with...

 

[angelgrievous]

The first question I have is how those people found a girlfriend to begin with...

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harha, please leave if this is all you have to offer.

 

[Kemono]

Good friend of mine plays Tom Clancy's Wildlands since the launch of its pvp non-stop. He even got his wife to play. I played for a few months but they don't do anything else anymore. But they work, their house is clean and the kids are cared for. Just outside of these normal things they don't do shit anymore. I used to do stuff with them on a weekly basis but this year i've seen them 3 times so far. Every time i log into PSN i see them playing.

A few years ago i've played WoW with a guild and some friends. Shit can suck up your life if you're not careful. I've never canceled real life meetings over a game but many out of our guild were unemployed and played 24/7.

It's just not compatible with me for long. Playing any game for too long i start getting bored... Lucky me.

 

[Quinton]

I am a Quinton and I left a girlfriend because of her League addiction. So that's something I guess.

 

[Jegriva]

I'm still yet to meet someone who playes League of Legends. I guess I'm too old.

Click to shrink...

this.

 

[Porcupine]

Let me tell you a story about WoW Raiding....

In all seriousness, I've seen a lot of people back in the day struggling with addiction. It was especially bad with World of Warcraft, but it wasn't a new phenomenon even then. People went crazy about Counterstrike/Enemy Territory/BF 1942/Unreal Tournament.

 

[Vilam]

Entered the thread ready to be annoyed, but... yeah... If they're fucking up at work/school due to video games, they need to get their shit sorted out.

 

[Khanimus]

Ugh my boyfriend just plays this 24/7 and doesn't even want to get water for himself or go outside, so his desk is full of trash.

Click to shrink...

Sounds like a real winner

 

[Potterson]

It's weird with LoL, cause it's a game where you can just play one match a day and there's no problems, really. It's not like WoW where you have to grind or raid for couple of hours.