The Flaws in the League of Legends Amateur Scene and How to Fix Them
The League of Legends amateur scene has several flaws that need to be addressed. RIOT’s incompetence has contributed to these issues, but there are simple solutions that can be implemented to improve the situation.
One major obstacle for amateur players is the overshadowing presence of the LCS. The format of the LCS puts amateur players in the shadows, making it nearly impossible for them to establish themselves. This needs to change.
The Issues with Qualifiers
RIOT’s implementation of the LCS and CS, as well as their terrible qualifier format decisions, have created many issues in the amateur scene. Here are some of the major problems:
- The use of the ranked 5v5 ladder as a qualifier for the challenger series. The ladder is a terrible system for determining the best amateur teams. Many players don’t have the time to grind the ladder, and it’s unreasonable to expect them to give up their studies or jobs to compete in an unprofitable amateur scene. The ladder also has matchmaking flaws that allow teams to manipulate their rankings, resulting in inferior teams qualifying while stronger teams are overlooked.
Limiting the challenger series to only 6 teams is unnecessary and hinders the growth of the amateur scene. It should be an open environment for aspiring amateurs to access and compete in on a weekly basis.
The lack of double elimination in the qualifiers is a problem because the ranked 5v5 ladder doesn’t accurately determine team rankings. Double elimination is a fairer format for determining the best teams and avoids situations where strong teams are eliminated early due to poor seeding.
The lack of tournaments and sponsors is also an issue. While sponsors are starting to take an interest in the amateur scene, more tournaments need to be established to provide opportunities for amateur players to compete and for fans to support the scene.
The lack of competition between amateur and professional teams is a major handicap for amateurs. Allowing for more competition, as seen in China with competitions between amateur and professional teams, would greatly benefit the overall level of the amateur scene.
Possible Solutions
There are simple solutions to these issues that can greatly improve the amateur scene:
- Amateur teams should be allowed to compete against professional teams to improve the level of competition.
- The format of the challenger series should be changed to a biweekly online tournament with open entry for 32 or 64 teams. Points should be awarded based on placements, and the top five teams should advance to a double elimination bracket to compete with the bottom three LCS teams for qualification.
- Partnering with third party leagues to provide more amateur tournaments would give players more opportunities to compete at a higher level.
Investment and support from tournament organizers, developers, and fans are crucial for the growth of the amateur scene. It is the foundation of every esport, and it is our obligation to help aspiring players thrive in an open and competitive environment.
League of Legends, amateur scene, LCS, qualifier, ranked ladder, competition, tournaments, sponsors