The professional League of Legends (LoL) scene has been thrown into turmoil as players have voted overwhelmingly in favor of a walkout to protest changes made by Riot Games to the minor leagues. In response, Riot has issued a threat to cancel the summer season of the League Championship Series (LCS), potentially preventing North American teams from qualifying for the LoL World Championship, unless an agreement can be reached.
The decision to take action comes just days before the scheduled start of the LCS Summer Split, the premier level of LoL esports in North America. In an attempt to resolve the ongoing issues with players and the LCS Players Association (LCSPA), Riot has delayed the season by two weeks.
In a blog post, Naz Aletaha, Riot’s global head of LoL esports, expressed hope that the two-week period would allow for productive dialogue between the LCSPA, teams, and the league, with the intention of resuming LCS competition this summer. Aletaha assured that teams would not be penalized for not fielding their rosters during this period, emphasizing the need for constructive dialogue and the avoidance of negative impacts on LCS employees and contractors.
