The Future of LCS Looks Promising: Competition and Broadcast Changes
Less than two weeks ago, the future of the LCS remained uncertain. Changes were made to the broadcasting schedule and long-time host Dash was removed, leaving fans skeptical about the upcoming Spring Split.
But Riot Games provided transparency and built hype with pre-season content, renewing anticipation for the LCS. The first week of the Spring Split showed that the competition is the fiercest it has been in years. Additionally, changes to the stream itself have given fans more ways to stay entertained throughout the duration of the matches.
The Broadcast Changes for the Better
Riot kept any changes to the broadcast a secret, except for the announcement that there would be no host. This led to uncertainty about the structure of the broadcast and the concern of decreasing viewership.
During the first week of the Spring Split, fans were greeted with a new set resembling the one used at last year’s World Championship. Personalities from the scene, such as QTCinderella and Bwipo, joined returning analysts Jatt, Emily Rand, Markz, and Raz in various segments. Pro player Bwipo and Evil Geniuses’ support Vulcan even provided their perspectives as casters.
The new broadcast segments successfully engaged the audience and showcased players’ personalities that are not normally seen on stream. It is unclear if Riot will continue to invite personalities in future weeks, but their presence made the first week more enjoyable.
Missing Dash, but Changes are Positive
The departure of Dash left a void that cannot be filled, and the first week of the Spring Split showed this. Although the broadcast is meant to be “hostless,” Jatt often assumed Dash’s role in the show, which is understandable in a structure similar to traditional sports broadcasts.
Impact of Fudge’s K’Sante
League’s newest champion, K’Sante, made his LCS debut and immediately proved to be powerful. Fudge, playing as K’Sante for Cloud9, displayed the champion’s potential and contributed to their victories.
Despite recognizing the strength of K’Sante, most teams struggled to handle him. Even in Evil Geniuses’ loss, their player Ssumday showcased the oppressive nature of K’Sante throughout the game.
Unexpected Success for CLG and TSM
At the end of the first week of the Spring Split, four teams remain undefeated: Cloud9, CLG, FlyQuest, and TSM. CLG’s consistency and TSM’s preparation and coaching staff changes have surprised many.
It remains to be seen how long these teams will stay at the top, but the first week of the Spring Split has shown that fans should expect the unexpected from the ten LCS teams.
LCS, Spring Split, competition, broadcast changes, personalities, K’Sante, undefeated teams, CLG, TSM