Since Riot Games introduced the new League of Legends esports schedule on Dec. 15, North American fans have been mystified. Many have expressed their disappointment with this new timetable with the LCS games now being scheduled to be played on weekdays.
League fans are worried about this shift in schedule, believing it will exacerbate the problem of LCS’ declining viewership. According to Sullygnome, the average LCS viewership on Twitch at the start of each season has been declining since 2020. But the silence from the LCS team owners’ on this issue is what has caused concerns in the NA community.
In a recent Reddit post, a user named lcsimepll points out that this “lack of response” is “deafening.”
According to the user, the subreddits of Team Liquid, Cloud9, and TSM have been filled with complaints of a similar nature. Most young fans will not have free time on weekdays and will be unable to catch the LCS games.
There is still no assurance or response given by the LCS team owners and management, however. “They are fine and even complicit with these scheduling decisions,” the user said. They also called out “NA-specific sponsors,” with this new schedule potentially hurting their target audience.
Many fans from the League community feel the announcement was timed around Christmas so it blows over everyone’s mind by the time the new year and new season arrive.
Despite such grievances, fans still feel the LCS is going to be an exciting watch next year thanks to the stacked rosters of all the teams. Riot will hope it brings in more viewership numbers, which the NA region desperately needs.
