Arena players saw a new AFK detection system arrive with patch 25.18, but Riot has confirmed the rollout didn’t go as planned. According to developer Mike Breese (@RiotRogueFool), some players were incorrectly flagged as AFK even though they were actively playing.
What went wrong
The AFK detection update was designed to punish players who abandon their Arena matches and to give teammates in 1v2 situations a quicker way out of doomed games. However, soon after going live, reports surfaced that normal players were being hit with AFK punishments despite staying active.
Breese admitted Riot “dropped the ball” on this implementation and confirmed the feature has now been disabled until the bugs are fixed.
What happens next
Riot is working to correct the system and plans to re-enable AFK detection in a future patch once false positives are resolved. In the meantime, all accounts that were wrongly punished will be reviewed and rectified.
Players who believe they were affected can contact Riot’s support team directly through this link.
Why it matters
Arena is a fast-paced mode where AFKs are especially disruptive. Riot wants to strike the balance between punishing bad actors and ensuring fair play without accidentally penalizing innocent players. Until the fix is ready, AFK detection will remain disabled to prevent further mistakes.
For more League of Legends news, system changes, and updates, visit LoLNOW.gg
Source: Mike Breese
FAQ
What happened with AFK detection in Arena
The new system mistakenly flagged some active players as AFK, leading to wrongful punishments.
Is the AFK detection system still active
No, Riot has disabled it in patch 25.18 until the issues are fixed.
What should I do if I was wrongly punished
You can reach out to Riot’s support team here
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