However, Riot stated that it could not further delay the Summer Split, as doing so would jeopardize the legitimacy of the competition. Aletaha acknowledged that canceling the season was not an ideal outcome but emphasized the need for a fair and competitive global system.
The LCSPA claimed that there had been attempts to force teams to field replacement players at the beginning of the season, urging potential replacements to refuse to play in order to protect players’ futures and maintain negotiating power.
This protest marks one of the first major instances of collective action within the esports industry. The walkout is in response to Riot’s recent decision to remove the requirement for LCS teams to field a team in an official farm system, a move aimed at supporting the long-term success of teams and the esports ecosystem in North America.
