Aspiring LoL Pro Wrongfully Banned for Inting — Riot Admits It Was Just a Skill Issue

Gorillajones123, an aspiring League of Legends pro, made headlines after quitting his job to chase his dream of going pro. While many in the community — including well-known figures like LS — warned that leaving a steady job to pursue esports was risky, Gorillajones forged ahead with unwavering determination.

However, his grind hit an unexpected obstacle: a ban from Riot Games for intentionally feeding, following a disastrous solo queue match where he ended with a 3/21 KDA — sparking controversy and debate throughout the community.

🔍 Banned for Inting... But It Was Just a Terrible Game

The incident occurred when Gorillajones, a top lane main, was autofilled into jungle, a role he doesn’t typically play. Facing a Bel’Veth — a champion notorious for early jungle dominance — he struggled throughout the match, dying 21 times in just 27 minutes.

The deaths were so frequent that Riot’s automated system flagged the match as intentional feeding, resulting in an immediate ban.

But Gorillajones maintained his innocence, insisting he wasn’t trying to sabotage the game. The community quickly rallied around him, and even Riot’s internal “apex skill analyst” team stepped in to review the match.

🧠 Riot Reviews the Case — Admits Ban Was a Mistake

After a detailed analysis, Riot acknowledged the ban was undeserved. According to Riot developer Drew Levin, the team concluded the punishment was “overly harsh” and immediately reversed the ban. He also confirmed Riot would begin a deeper internal review of the automated ban system, which currently relies heavily on stats like KDA and excessive deaths to detect disruptive behavior.

“Our apex skill analyst team took a look today and believes our punishment was overly harsh. We’re unbanning effective immediately and are undertaking a deeper review of the automated systems,” Levin stated on Twitter.

🎮 What Actually Happened in the Game?

Perry, a former pro jungler turned coach, analyzed the match and confirmed that while Gorillajones made many mistakes, none of the deaths looked intentional. Instead, he was completely outmatched by the Bel’Veth, who invaded his jungle repeatedly from level 1, starving him of resources and punishing every attempt to recover.

An experienced jungler might’ve known how to mitigate the pressure — but as a top lane main, Gorillajones was clearly out of his depth. It wasn’t griefing — just an unfortunate mismatch in role and skill.

🚀 Still Chasing the Dream

Despite the unban, Gorillajones has faced other challenges. After launching a fresh account, he found himself stuck in Diamond with a string of rough matches. Still, he remains focused on his long-term goal.

He first announced on May 6, 2025, that he had saved up enough money to go all-in on his pro career. And after Riot reversed the ban, he doubled down on his determination, tweeting:

“Nothing can stop me.”

🌟 One Bad Game, Not the End

While the road has been anything but smooth, Gorillajones’ story is a testament to resilience — and a reminder that even the worst games don’t define a player’s journey. Riot’s response also highlights the importance of context in moderation and the need to refine automated systems to better serve high-ELO players.

His dream of going pro may still be far off, but one thing’s clear: he’s not giving up anytime soon.