As known, in recent days, the LCS region has become a hot spot in the world of League of Legends (LoL). After Riot enforced rules requiring teams to disband their academy teams, strikes by teams here have put the LCS tournament at risk of not being held as scheduled. However, the situation could be even more serious.
Accordingly, to ensure that the LCS Summer 2023 tournament runs on schedule, those managing this region from Riot along with the tournament organizers have confirmed they may allow players of all ranks in League of Legends to register to compete for teams, if they desire. The selection will be handled by the teams. This is all aimed at keeping the LCS running during this phase.
This was confirmed by Travis Gafford – a highly respected journalist in the Western LoL community in a recent broadcast alongside some colleagues. Gafford stated: “They (Riot) have decided to remove all rank requirements to compete professionally in the LCS. Therefore, currently, whatever rank you are at, you can register to compete. Even I could become a player if I registered.”
Although Gafford’s statement has not been officially confirmed by Riot, it can be understood that even players at low ranks like Bronze can register to compete and may be recruited. Of course, teams will have their own selection processes (if the situation leads to such a resolution), but clearly, this will only cause the LCS tournament to decline further.
Moreover, this will certainly affect the mentality of the players, regardless of whether the situation is resolved or not. Compared to the other three regions in the Major four regions, the LCS is considered the weakest. For a long time, they have not produced any standout local players. Names like Berserker or EMENES are all foreign imports. Notably, jojopyun is a bright spot, yet he did not perform well in the previous Spring season.
It is possible that the LCS tournament will still take place, and there will still be teams representing the region at the 2023 World Championship. However, this region is drowning in crisis, and they certainly cannot recover overnight.