Ok hold up, the answer to the Teemo question is super inconsistent with what Riot has done before with changing Teemo, and I want an honest answer from a Rioter about shipping Teemo's changes.
We tried a few variations of the changes, but in the end, it seemed like we couldn’t make a change without being deeply divisive—and we weren’t comfortable shipping something unless the majority of his playbase was on board.
Remember that time when Teemo's shrooms didn't bounce? And that time where they lasted 10 minutes instead of 5?
Prominent Teemo mains swarmed this sub and the PBE forums (most notably, this post) to discuss why Teemo was suddenly being changed. At the time, very few folks were on board. /u/PhreakRiot jumped into the aforementioned thread to attempt to defend the changes, saying that we "don't comprehend the buffs" (referring to the overall shroom mechanics changing) and that the 5-minute reduction "doesn't make as big as a difference as it may appear...if it wasn't going to get popped in the first five minutes, it's unlikely to find a target in the next five."
At that time, our (meaning Teemo players) feedback seemed to not be considered, as the changes were ultimately pushed to live (holy crap, it's been nearly four years since then) to the dismay of many Teemo mains (myself included). He was not an oppressive laner by any means, nor was he anywhere near pro play.
My question is: What gives? Why the sudden change of heart? I'd like to think that Riot's approach to changing the mechanics of a champion is becoming increasingly player-focused (as Riot is indeed player experience first, according to their manifesto). But is there another reason why the Teemo changes weren't shipped? Will the 10-minute shroom dream ever be reconsidered?
(Note: I do not mean to sound incendiary toward the devs. I just want some clarification on the Teemo decisions. I like him a lot.)
FWIW, there are different criteria for different types of work. I wasn't at the company four years ago so I don't know 100% if this was the case for the previous Teemo changes, but if the previous work was done because we felt 10 minute shrooms were unhealthy for the game as a whole, that's something where Teemo player feedback will be weighed, but won't be sole factor on whether it ships. Nobody ever wants a nerf to ship for their own champion (and rightfully so). If we're trying to ship something awesome specifically for Teemo players and Teemo players are divided on whether they like it, then that's a much clearer show-stopper.
Also I do just want to focus on the player-focus line in your comment. We definitely slip up on player focus sometimes, but it's also not quite as cut-and-dry as "listening to what players say on Reddit/Twitter/etc. is player-focused." Sometimes it's correct to make an unpopular decision (or, even more relevant, a decision that appears REALLY unpopular due ...
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