North America’s Struggles in League of Legends
In the world of esports, North America has often been criticized for its performance in League of Legends. This issue came to a head at Worlds 2019 when not a single North American team made it to the knockout round.
Acceptance of Failure
The response from NA fans wasn’t one of disappointment or anger, but rather resignation. It was clear that North American teams didn’t deserve a spot among the world’s top-eight teams.
Insufficient Changes by Riot
In an effort to improve the North American scene, Riot made some changes to its league rules after the tournament. While these changes were welcomed, they weren’t enough to fix the underlying issues. If Riot truly wants to improve the LCS, it needs to eliminate the import rule.
The Purpose of the Import Rule
The import rule, formally known as the interregional movement policy (IMP), was put in place to preserve regional identity. Riot wanted to ensure that players from different regions had a chance to thrive in their home regions. However, this rule has not achieved its intended goal.
Since its implementation, North America has failed to produce promising young talent and has struggled to compete internationally. In contrast, regions like the LPL in China have been successful at developing both domestic and imported players.
The import rule may actually be hindering the growth of North American players by allowing teams to rely on imported talent instead of developing local talent.
Import Restrictions as a Barrier
If import restrictions were removed, some teams might choose to sign a full roster of foreign players, which could potentially push out the NA players. However, this would ultimately create a more competitive playing field and a stronger LCS, benefiting all players involved.
A stronger showing from North American teams would attract more attention and revenue to the league. If concerns about excluding native-born players arise, roster expansion could be a viable solution.
Riot’s Efforts and the Way Forward
Since Worlds, Riot has made various efforts to help the LCS, including allowing players to stream from the Tournament Realm and loosening import restrictions in a limited way.
However, the most effective solution would be to remove the import restrictions altogether. This change would make the professional League of Legends scene more competitive and interesting.
It’s important to note that not every team would immediately turn to importing players. There are other ways to build successful teams, and local North American talent would still have opportunities to shine. With the right support and competition, they can reach their full potential.
Overall, removing import restrictions is a necessary step towards creating a stronger and more successful North American League of Legends scene.
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