EvilEye Amulet
Gaming Disorder

League of Legends: the ranked ladder that never lets you stop.

131 million monthly players. 39-minute matches you cannot quit. A ranking system designed to make every loss feel like unfinished business. League of Legends helped define the WHO's Gaming Disorder diagnosis. Here is why.

Break the League Loop
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8.6%
of adolescent gamers meet the clinical criteria for Gaming Disorder, according to a 2024 meta-analysis of 84 studies
The Numbers

League of Legends by the numbers: a global compulsion.

The most-played PC game in the world has spent 15 years perfecting the art of keeping you in queue. These are the numbers that explain why it is now at the center of the gaming addiction conversation.

0M
Monthly active players worldwide
DemandSage, January 2025
0 min
Average match duration — time you cannot quit
League of Graphs, 2025
$0B
Lifetime revenue, almost entirely from cosmetics
GameBoost, 2024
0%
Adolescent gamers who meet Gaming Disorder criteria
ScienceDirect Meta-Analysis, 2024

From college dorm game to clinical diagnosis

2009

League of Legends launches

Riot Games releases League of Legends as a free-to-play game. The ranked ladder system is introduced early, creating the competitive loop that would define the game's addictive core for over a decade.

2012

Most-played PC game in the world

League surpasses World of Warcraft to become the most-played PC game globally with 32 million monthly active players. The esports scene explodes, creating a culture where playing more equals respect.

2013

APA flags Internet Gaming Disorder

The American Psychiatric Association includes Internet Gaming Disorder as a "condition for further study" in the DSM-5. Research on competitive online games, particularly League of Legends, drives the conversation.

2019

WHO formally recognizes Gaming Disorder

The World Health Organization includes Gaming Disorder in the ICD-11 as a clinical diagnosis, defined by impaired control, increasing priority given to gaming, and continuation despite negative consequences. Competitive online games like League are central to the evidence base.

2020

Wild Rift brings League to mobile

Riot launches League of Legends: Wild Rift for iOS and Android, putting the ranked ladder in every pocket. What once required sitting at a PC can now happen anywhere, at any time, removing the last physical barrier to compulsive play.

2024

131 million players, $18.9B in lifetime revenue

League of Legends reaches 131 million monthly active players. Meta-analyses find 8.6% of adolescent gamers meet Gaming Disorder criteria. The game's cosmetic economy has generated nearly $19 billion, creating a sunk-cost trap that makes walking away feel impossible.

The Hooks

How League hooks you.

League of Legends is not just a game. It is a precision-engineered compulsion machine that exploits competitive psychology, loss aversion, and sunk-cost fallacy to keep you queuing up. Here is how each hook works.

The Ranked Ladder: Visible, Public, Addictive

League's Elo-based ranking system creates a visible, public measure of your skill that rises and falls with every game. The tier system — Iron through Challenger — creates constant near-miss experiences where you are always one game from promotion or demotion. Research on League of Legends players found that lower-skilled players systematically overestimate their abilities, a phenomenon called "Elo Hell," creating a persistent belief that their true rank is just a few more games away. Every loss feels like it stole something from you. Every win feels like it is not quite enough.

Computers in Human Behavior, "The Psychology of Esports Players' ELO Hell" (2023)

The Match Length Trap: 40 Minutes You Cannot Quit

Unlike scrolling TikTok or checking Instagram, each League of Legends match demands a 30-to-45-minute commitment that you cannot abandon. Leaving mid-match triggers a "LeaverBuster" penalty system that bans you from queuing. This means even when you are losing badly and the game is unfun, you are locked in. After investing 40 minutes into a loss, the psychological pull to play another game to recover that time is enormous. The average player logs three sessions per day, each anchored by this minimum commitment.

League of Graphs Match Duration Analysis, 2025; Oreate AI, "How Many Hours Do Players Spend in LoL?" (2024)

Tilt and Revenge: Losses That Make You Play More

In most activities, a bad experience makes you want to stop. In League, a bad experience makes you want to play more. A loss — especially one caused by a toxic teammate or a close call — triggers what players call "tilt": a state of frustration that paradoxically increases the urge to queue again. Research found that 70% of League matches are affected by disruptive behavior, and toxic behavior significantly worsens both team and individual performance. The result is a vicious cycle: toxicity causes losses, losses create tilt, tilt drives revenge games, and revenge games expose you to more toxicity.

Media Psychology, "Effects of Individual Toxic Behavior on Team Performance in LoL" (2022); Springer, "The Enemy Hates Best? Toxicity in League of Legends" (2023)

Sunk-Cost Skins: The $18.9 Billion Anchor

League of Legends has generated an estimated $18.9 billion in lifetime revenue, almost entirely from cosmetic purchases. Players spend hundreds — sometimes thousands — of dollars on skins, champions, and event passes. Combined with years of rank history and mastery points, this creates a powerful sunk-cost trap. Research shows that players with higher in-game expenditure are more likely to endorse symptoms of problematic gaming behavior. The investment feels tangible: walking away means "losing" everything you have paid for and earned, even though staying is what is actually costing you.

Game Quitters, "Sunk Cost Fallacy in Gaming" (2024); UPSALA Journal of Medical Sciences, "Gaming Disorder Symptom Burden" (2024)
Gaming disorder is characterized by impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities, and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences.
— World Health Organization, ICD-11 Gaming Disorder Classification (2019)
The Research

What the research says about gaming addiction and your brain.

This is not speculation. These findings come from peer-reviewed neuroimaging studies, WHO classifications, and clinical meta-analyses involving hundreds of thousands of participants.

WHO Gaming Disorder: It Is Now a Clinical Diagnosis

In 2019, the World Health Organization formally included Gaming Disorder in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), joining substance use disorders and gambling disorder as recognized addictions. The diagnosis requires three criteria persisting for at least 12 months: impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other life activities, and continuation or escalation despite negative consequences. A 2024 meta-analysis of 84 studies covering 641,763 individuals found that 8.6% of adolescent gamers and 6.1% of young adult gamers meet these criteria. The prevalence is increasing year over year.

WHO ICD-11 (2019); ScienceDirect, "Burden of Gaming Disorder Among Adolescents: Meta-Analysis" (2024)
ICD-11
Gaming Disorder is now a recognized clinical diagnosis in the WHO's disease classification

Your Brain on Gaming: The Same Pathways as Drug Addiction

Neuroimaging studies using fMRI have found that Internet Gaming Disorder shares neurobiological alterations typical of substance addictions. Research shows reduced dopamine D2 receptor availability in the striatum — the same pattern seen in drug and alcohol addiction. Studies reported that gaming triggers dopamine release similar in magnitude to drugs of abuse. Additionally, gamers with IGD show reduced activity in brain regions responsible for impulse control and decision-making, and impaired functional connectivity in networks involved in cognitive control, executive function, and emotional regulation. The brain of someone with gaming disorder physically responds differently to gaming cues than a healthy brain.

PMC, "Neurobiological Mechanisms Underlying Internet Gaming Disorder" (2020); Frontiers in Psychiatry, "Brain Imaging Studies of IGD" (2017)
D2
Reduced dopamine D2 receptors in gamers with IGD, the same deficit found in drug addiction

Rage, Tilt, and the Toxicity Trap

League of Legends has one of the most toxic communities in gaming, and research shows this is not just unpleasant — it is psychologically trapping. A study of League of Legends matches found that 70% were affected by disruptive behavior. Research published in Media Psychology demonstrated that individual toxic behavior significantly worsened both team and individual performance metrics. A separate study found that players have become so desensitized to toxicity that they are more likely to normalize toxic negativity than positivity. The cycle is clear: toxicity degrades performance, degraded performance triggers losses, and losses drive the compulsion to queue again.

Springer, "The Enemy Hates Best? Toxicity in LoL" (2023); Media Psychology, "Effects of Individual Toxic Behavior on Team Performance" (2022); ACM, "Suspecting Sarcasm in Toxic Environments" (2023)
70%
of League of Legends matches affected by disruptive, toxic behavior

Social Isolation Behind the Screen

While League of Legends is marketed as a social game, research paints a different picture. A psychosocial study of League players in Brazil found the game has a negative influence on the mental health of socially peripheral players, with widespread cases of oppression and discrimination within the community. Competitive and escapist players reported significantly higher problematic gaming scores than recreational players. Anxiety was reported in 38% to 82% of esports participants, and depressive symptoms in 25% to 37%, depending on factors like experience level, coping strategies, and competitive environment. The "social" aspect often replaces real-world connection rather than supplementing it.

ResearchGate, "A Psychosocial Perspective about Mental Health and League of Legends in Brazil" (2021); Wiley, "Mental Health and Well-Being in Esports: Scoping Review" (2026)
82%
Upper range of anxiety prevalence reported among competitive gaming participants

Sleep Deprivation: The Hidden Cost of "One More Game"

The "one more game" mentality has a direct impact on sleep. Each League match lasts 30 to 45 minutes, meaning "just one more" at 11 PM means you are not in bed until midnight at the earliest. Research on gaming and sleep shows that adolescent gamers are spending increasing amounts of time online, with health risks negatively associated with daytime functioning and sleep outcomes. The dopamine stimulation from competitive gaming keeps the brain in an aroused state that makes falling asleep difficult even after stopping. EEG studies found that individuals with high gaming use show significantly lower markers of prefrontal executive function, compounding the inability to make the conscious decision to stop playing and go to sleep.

PMC, "New Developments in Brain Research of Internet and Gaming Disorder" (2017); Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, EEG and fMRI studies (2023–2025)
39 min
Minimum time commitment per match, making "one more game" a 40-minute decision
Game Comparison

Why competitive games are uniquely addictive.

Not all games are equal when it comes to addiction. Competitive ranked games create compulsion patterns that casual games simply cannot match. Here is how they compare on session commitment.

League of Legends 39 min/match
Dota 2 44 min/match
Valorant 30 min/match
Counter-Strike 2 35 min/match
Fortnite (BR) 22 min/match
Call of Duty 10 min/match
Sources: League of Graphs 2025, community averages for competitive ranked modes
Competitive and escaper players reported higher problematic gaming scores than recreational players. Esports' excessive play and its competitive nature lead to physical and psychological problems.
— ScienceDirect, "Problematic Gaming and Quality of Life in Online Competitive Videogame Players" (2022)

Why competitive ranked games are different

Casual mobile games create habit. Competitive ranked games create compulsion. The difference is the ranked ladder: a visible, quantified measure of your worth that changes with every match. Losses trigger loss aversion — a cognitive bias where the pain of losing is roughly twice as powerful as the pleasure of an equivalent gain. Combined with 30-to-45-minute match commitments, team-based accountability (your team needs you), and penalties for leaving, competitive games like League eliminate every off-ramp that might let you stop. Research published in ScienceDirect found that "devoted" esports players can be distinguished from addicted ones, but the line between devotion and compulsion is thinner than most players believe.

ScienceDirect, "Devoted or Addicted? Modeling Gaming Addiction in eSports" (2024)

The Ranked Trap

How the Elo system exploits your competitive drive.

The ranked ladder is not just a feature. It is a psychological architecture designed to make every loss feel like unfinished business and every win feel like the start of a streak you cannot break.

The Near-Miss Promotion

League's tier system (Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Emerald, Diamond, Master, Grandmaster, Challenger) creates constant near-miss experiences. At 80 LP, you are one win from your promotion series. After a demotion, you are one win from getting back. You are always close to something. This "almost there" psychology is the same mechanism that keeps slot machine players pulling the lever.

Psychology Today, "Psychology and Competitive Gaming" (2015)

Seasonal Resets: Forced Re-Grinding

Every January, League resets your rank, forcing you to re-climb the ladder you already conquered. This erases months of progress and creates a compulsive urgency to grind back to your previous standing. Patch notes change the meta every two weeks, meaning your skills can become obsolete if you stop playing. The game is designed so that standing still means falling behind — a competitive FOMO machine that punishes breaks.

Game Quitters, "How the Sunk Cost Fallacy Keeps You Playing Games" (2024)

The Elo Hell Illusion

Research surveying 267 League of Legends players found that lower-skilled players significantly overestimate their skill level compared to higher-skilled players. This "Elo Hell" belief — the conviction that your rank does not reflect your true ability because teammates are holding you back — drives endless grinding. Players believe they are just a few good games from their "real" rank, creating a Sisyphean loop of play that research confirms is built on motivated cognitive bias, not reality.

Computers in Human Behavior, "Motivated Bias in League of Legends" (2023)

The "One More Game" Loop Explained

The one-more-game loop is the core addiction mechanic of League of Legends, and it works because losses and wins are equally compelling. After a loss: Your LP drops. You feel robbed. The loss was probably not your fault (Elo Hell bias). Playing one more game feels like a necessary correction, not a choice. After a win: Dopamine surges. You are on a streak. Your LP is climbing. Stopping now means leaving the momentum. Playing one more game feels like capitalizing on your advantage. Either outcome feeds the loop. There is no result that makes you feel like stopping is the right decision. This is not accidental. It is how competitive ranked systems are designed.

ScienceDirect, "Devoted or Addicted? Modeling Gaming Addiction in eSports" (2024)

Wild Rift: The Ranked Ladder in Your Pocket

In 2020, Riot Games launched League of Legends: Wild Rift, putting the full ranked experience on mobile. What once required sitting at a PC now lives in your pocket, available during every commute, lunch break, and moment of boredom. Wild Rift recreates the same Elo system, the same promotional series, the same seasonal resets — compressed into 15-to-20-minute matches that are even easier to chain. With over 300,000 daily active players and approximately $6 million per month in revenue, Wild Rift represents the mobile expansion of a competitive addiction system that was already potent on PC.

ActivePlayer.io, Wild Rift Player Statistics (2025); Statista, Wild Rift Revenue Data (2025)
The Solution

Breaking the League loop does not require willpower.

League's addiction mechanics work because they are frictionless — one tap and you are in queue. The clinical evidence points to the same solution: put friction back. CBT-based approaches that interrupt automatic behavior are the most effective treatment for gaming disorder. EvilEye brings that principle to your phone.

A 2022 meta-analysis published in Scientific Reports found that cognitive-behavioral therapy combined with mindfulness was the most effective intervention for reducing excessive gaming, followed by CBT with family therapy. The core principle across all effective treatments is the same: interrupt the automatic behavior loop. When you reach for Wild Rift on autopilot, you are not making a decision. You are executing a habit. EvilEye turns that autopilot moment into a conscious choice.

The smile is not arbitrary. Research on embodied cognition shows that the physical act of smiling shifts your emotional and cognitive state. In the moment you smile, you move from the reactive, tilted state that League exploits to a more deliberate, conscious state. You go from "I just opened Wild Rift because I am frustrated" to "I am choosing to play right now." That distinction is the difference between compulsion and choice.

1

Smile to Interrupt

When you reach for Wild Rift on autopilot — whether from tilt, boredom, or habit — EvilEye catches you. Before the app opens, it asks for a genuine smile using your iPhone's TrueDepth camera. This two-second pause breaks the reflexive queue-up pattern. You shift from reacting to choosing.

2

Choose Your Time

After smiling, you decide how long you want Wild Rift unlocked. One match? Two hours for a proper session? The choice is yours. The critical difference is that it is a choice — not a default. The ranked ladder removes stopping cues. EvilEye puts one back at the entry point.

3

Stay Protected

When your chosen time expires, EvilEye steps back in. No willpower drain. No internal negotiation about "one more game." The app locks again and the loop is broken. Over time, the number of times you reflexively open Wild Rift decreases — because your brain learns there is friction waiting at the door.

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FAQ

League of Legends addiction: your questions answered.

Yes. League of Legends uses multiple psychological mechanisms that make it clinically addictive for a significant portion of players. The WHO formally recognized Gaming Disorder in ICD-11 in 2019, with competitive online games like League of Legends central to the research that led to that classification. A 2024 meta-analysis found that 8.6% of adolescent gamers and 6.1% of young adult gamers meet the clinical criteria for gaming disorder. League's ranked ladder system, 30-to-45-minute match commitment, loss aversion mechanics, and sunk-cost cosmetics all contribute to compulsive play patterns.
Gaming Disorder was formally classified by the World Health Organization in the International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision (ICD-11) in 2019. It is characterized by three symptoms: impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities, and continuation of gaming despite negative consequences, persisting for at least 12 months. Competitive online games like League of Legends were central to the research that led to this classification, as their ranked systems, long match durations, and social pressure create the exact patterns of compulsive behavior the diagnosis describes.
The ranked ladder exploits several psychological mechanisms simultaneously. The Elo rating system creates a visible, public measure of your skill that rises and falls with every game, triggering loss aversion where losses feel roughly twice as painful as equivalent wins feel good. The tier and division system (Iron through Challenger) creates constant near-miss experiences where you are always close to the next promotion. Seasonal resets erase your progress, forcing you to re-grind. Research on League of Legends players found that lower-skilled players systematically overestimate their abilities, creating a persistent belief that their true rank is just a few more games away.
The average League of Legends player spends roughly 6 to 10 hours per week playing, with dedicated players averaging around 20 games per week at approximately 39 minutes per session. Professional and aspiring competitive players often play 10 to 14 hours per day. Many players accumulate thousands of hours over years of play. The match-based structure means each session involves a minimum 30-to-45-minute commitment, and the ranked system incentivizes chaining multiple games in succession, making it easy for a "quick session" to expand to several hours.
Research suggests yes. Studies found that 70% of League of Legends matches are affected by disruptive behavior including flaming, griefing, and verbal abuse. This toxicity paradoxically increases engagement rather than driving players away. Losing a game due to a toxic teammate triggers a revenge motivation where the player feels compelled to play another game to restore their rank and prove their skill. Research published in Media Psychology found that individual toxic behavior significantly worsened both team and individual performance, creating a cycle where toxicity causes losses, and losses drive more play.
The sunk cost fallacy plays a significant role in League of Legends addiction. Players who have spent hundreds or thousands of dollars on skins, champions, and cosmetics find it psychologically difficult to walk away from that investment. League of Legends has generated an estimated $18.9 billion in lifetime revenue, almost entirely from cosmetic purchases. Research shows that players with higher in-game expenditure are more likely to endorse symptoms of problematic gaming behavior. The investment of both time (mastery points, rank history) and money creates a powerful psychological anchor that makes quitting feel like losing something tangible.
Yes. EvilEye is designed to interrupt the automatic reflex of opening games like Wild Rift, the mobile version of League of Legends. Before you can open the app, EvilEye requires you to smile into your front camera using your iPhone's TrueDepth sensor, creating a pause that shifts you from autopilot to conscious choice. You then choose how long you want the game unlocked. This friction-based approach directly counters the frictionless one-tap access that mobile games exploit. Instead of mindlessly opening Wild Rift during every idle moment, you make a deliberate decision each time.
Neuroimaging studies using fMRI have found that Internet Gaming Disorder shares neurobiological alterations typical of substance addictions. Research shows reduced dopamine D2 receptor availability in the striatum, the same pattern seen in drug and alcohol addiction. Gaming triggers dopamine release similar in magnitude to drugs of abuse. Studies also found reduced activity in brain regions responsible for impulse control and decision-making, and impaired functional connectivity in networks involved in cognitive control, executive function, and emotional regulation. These changes mean the brain of someone with gaming disorder physically responds differently to gaming cues than a healthy brain.

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EvilEye Amulet

League was designed to keep you queuing.
EvilEye was designed to let you stop.

You now know how the ranked ladder exploits your competitive drive, what gaming does to your brain, and why the WHO classified it as a disorder. The only question left is whether you will keep queuing on autopilot — or take conscious control.

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