For some time now, the popular MOBA eSports giant League of Legends has had a reputation for a particularly toxic player base, but that is something its developer, Riot Games, has been working very hard to change. In addition to using machine learning to auto-moderate games, Riot has implemented a rehabilitation program, where it works to reform toxic players rather than ban them permanently.

This seems to be working marvelously, at least according to Riot, and now the developer says it will start allowing previously toxic players to earn end-of-season ranked rewards just like every other player, provided they have changed their ways.

“In the last season of Leagues play, we excluded some of the Ranked Rewards from players that were excessively toxic (so, exhibited severe offensive behaviors such as racism and sexism) or were persistently toxic (so, exhibited moderately offensive behaviors in a large number of games),” Lead Game Designer Jeffrey Lin said in response to a question on Ask.fm. “We’re going to continue this policy this year; however, there are some slight changes.”

“One, we always want to encourage reform, and celebrate players that successfully reform by the end of the season,” he continued. “So, players that got a Chat or Ranked Restriction during the season, but manage to reform and DO NOT HAVE active Chat or Ranked Restrictions by the season end cutoff will still get their Ranked Rewards. Players that still have active Chat or Ranked Restrictions by the season end cutoff will not be eligible.”

Lin explained that players who have received Low Priority Queues will also be eligible for ranked rewards, but “extremely chronic leavers” will still be excluded. “These are players that have ruined hundreds of thousands of games, and have had multiple 20 minute Low Priority Queues,” Lin noted.

An exception to the more lenient reward rules are players who have received “escalated bans” of seven to 14 days at any time in the 2015 season.

“Players that have received these types of bans have shown some of the most egregious behaviors in the game,” Lin explained. “And we have a zero tolerance policy against things like racism, sexism, homophobia and other kinds of hate speech.”

He added, “These players WILL be eligible for Ranked Rewards in future seasons if they reform and are not flagged for excessive behaviors in future seasons.”

Image credit: Riot Games (c)