Reports have emerged that the LCK has requested Riot to cancel the Fearless Draft mode in upcoming international tournaments.
In the 2025 season, Riot began widespread testing of the Fearless Draft mode across all major and minor tournaments within this publisher’s management system worldwide, and it has indeed brought many positive signals. Unique picks have emerged, and names that seemed to have “fallen into oblivion” have also been brought back into play.
Audience feedback has been very positive, and Riot decided to implement this mechanism for First Stand 2025 and subsequently for MSI 2025 – Worlds 2025. However, according to commentator Miller, there have been reports that some LCK teams are urging Riot to cancel this mechanism in the upcoming international tournaments.
The reason, as stated by the LPL commentator, is that some LCK teams feel the Fearless Draft mechanism will force them to constantly change. Previously, LCK teams could secure victories with just one or two draft systems. But now, with Fearless Draft, they need to prepare many more strategies. Teams not only have to spend more time preparing and practicing but also risk failing in official matches.
Additionally, weaker teams can now take advantage of the unpredictable draft bans to challenge stronger teams, as shared by commentator Miller.
However, the likelihood of Riot “catering” to LCK’s wishes is almost impossible.
Perhaps, as of now, it can be confidently said that MSI 2025 will compete under the Fearless Draft mechanism and any changes from Riot will come after this phase. Therefore, teams must adapt as a necessity. Moreover, Fearless Draft still brings excitement to the audience, and thus, Riot will not rush to change it.
Furthermore, with Riot’s champion balancing not being fully thorough, Fearless Draft has yet to fully showcase its role, as many champions frequently appear in draft bans and are still too predictable. Therefore, it is possible that in the future, Riot will apply additional new rules for testing before implementing any further changes.