Riot Games Expands Rosters for NA LCS Playoffs
In an unexpected move, Riot Games has announced that teams in the North American League of Legends Championship Series (NA LCS) will be allowed to have a seven-person roster for the upcoming league playoffs. This marks a significant shift from Riot’s previous rule of only allowing five players and one normal substitute for playoffs and international matches.
The initial signs of this change emerged when NA LCS teams were allowed a second coach on stage during the draft phase of matches. While this change surprised many, it was just the beginning of the roster expansion. As reported by Esports Heaven, NA LCS teams will now have the option to utilize seven players for the playoffs.
According to Chris Greely, the league commissioner, this change has been a long time in the making. He stated, “At least some teams have asked for expanded playoff rosters every split. The change this split came through the competition committee, which also advocated for strategic coaches on stage.”
The decision to expand playoff rosters makes sense considering the circumstances of the NA LCS this year. After the league was franchised, all ten organizations were required to have a full Academy roster with a minimum of ten players across both the LCS and Academy teams. This has allowed teams like Cloud9, Echo Fox, and OpTic Gaming to frequently utilize their Academy players as substitutes in the LCS. Now, they can continue this practice in the playoffs.
While it remains unclear if this change will extend to other leagues, Greely believes it should be implemented worldwide and for international events. He argues that roster sizes should be expanded to seven or even ten players at international events to introduce more variance and benefit weaker leagues like the NA LCS.
Although it is unlikely that this change will occur before this year’s Worlds, it is a necessary adjustment as the world of League of Legends esports continues to expand. With the upcoming franchising of Europe next year, similar changes in roster rules are expected.
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