It’s not for the whales, it’s for the long time players like myself who like the game to stay fresh. Big changes give me new opportunities to theory craft and try new things, so I play more when there are big changes VS when things are stale and getting boring. Might be part of the reason people have a hard time learning the game though
I mean, that’s all they really do these days too. I’ve been playing since season 2 and there are definitely ups and downs across the history of the game. These days they’ve slowed down on new champs, like 2 a year or so. They’ve maybe gone a little trigger happy with item changes, but it doesn’t bother me or my friend group too much. Like I said, gives us more opportunity to theory craft and less time for boring stale metas to set in. Game modes got boring for a while, but they’re doing better these past couple years (Arena 2v2s is one of the best modes they’ve ever released)
As far as ruining it for people who like it how it is, I don’t know anyone who fits that, but it’s definitely possible people are getting alienated by changes. But I think it’s okay alienating that small minority to keep the game alive and fresh for the vast majority
Senior Riot devs say the League of Legends playerbase is getting older, with fewer newbies jumping in: 'Candidly, it's not the same situation it was 10 years ago' (www.pcgamer.com)
neuron (sh.itjust.works)
Modder Behind Oblivion Fan Remake Vows to See It Through Whether Bethesda Releases a Remaster or Not (www.ign.com)