In just a few days, the ASIAD Hangzhou will officially kick off. This is a special event as Esports has become an official medal-contending sport. Notably, the League of Legends community in Asia is particularly excited as Vietnam has a genuine chance to compete for medals. Additionally, the opportunity to watch top stars like Faker, Kanavi, Ruler, and Chovy on the same team, competing together, is a dream for many LoL fans.
However, the audience of LoL in Vietnam is facing a new concern. As of now, it is still unclear which entity will hold the broadcasting rights for Esports matches at ASIAD specifically, and other sports in general. With Esports, particularly LoL, it becomes a much more complicated story.
For a long time, Vietnamese LoL fans have been accustomed to the familiar images and commentary style of various casters. In the case that broadcasting rights are acquired, there is no guarantee that names like Hoang Luan, Van Tung… will be able to work.
This is a contentious issue as it is clear that during the two friendly matches of Vietnamese LoL against South Korea, the casters from HTV did not deliver the emotions and technical information that the audience expected. This is understandable as commenting on LoL or Esports requires the commentator to have played the game to grasp the specific information within the game and the intense combat situations. Additionally, there is the emotional aspect for the events that occur during the match.
Another issue is that while Esports or LoL may be getting more recognition than before, the possibility of not having an official broadcast could very well happen. It can be said that although ASIAD Hangzhou holds special significance, the chance that Vietnamese LoL fans, in particular, and Esports fans in general, may miss out on matches or only be able to watch through narration or replays is a real concern. If this becomes a reality, it would be extremely regrettable.