LoL lead designer ‘really dislikes’ one Summoner’s Spell but knows it’s too important to delete

Some Summoner’s Spells in League of Legends are superior to others—and even the devs know that. In a recent stream, Riot Games’ August said he doesn’t like Teleport but knows it’s a crucial part of the game.

August admitted he’s not a fan of the spell, but he believes it’s too important for League top laners. He underlined that it gives them a massive advantage over opponents who pick Ignite because they return to the lane faster and compensate for lost minions and experience.

“I personally really dislike TP. I do not like that TP. As a defensive Summoner’s Spell, you take it, you win your lane,” August said. “What happens with TP, especially with the death timer changes, is that you are all in someone with Ignite, and they have TP. You lose because of the TP going back to the lane. And then you lose your lane, even though you killed them.”

August thinks it’s outrageous that having a Teleport, a defensive spell in theory, gives you an advantage over players who pick aggressive options like Ignite. But he also acknowledged how important the spell is for top laners, who rely on it. Top lane mains know Teleports are needed for split-push, ganking other lanes, and surviving. “TP creates a lot of important things for the game, especially in regards to top lane,” August said.

One idea August has to fix this issue is to start the game with Teleport on cooldown. That way, if you die in one of the early levels, you will deservedly lose the lane. But he didn’t sound convinced by the suggestion.

In the current meta, especially in higher rankings and competitive play, Teleport is arguably the most important spell in League. Numerous top laners and mid laners pick it, and in some cases, even bot lane duos opt for the spell. In the final of the 2024 Esports World Cup between Top Esports and T1, the spell was picked alongside Flash by every top laner and mid laner in each of the four games, according to Leaguepedia.

Casual players are fond of Teleport as well. The spell (combined with Flash) is currently the most popular combo, picked by 25.6 percent of players, according to League of Graphs.