Over the past few years, North American League of Legends pros have raised complaints about the quality of games in solo queue and how the level of play simply isn’t up to snuff when compared to other regions. Luckily, Riot Games is taking steps to create a more competitive environment—well, at least for the best of the best.
In a new blog post about the 2022 LCS format, Riot outlined its plans to implement an exclusive matchmaking system based on West Coast servers called Champions Queue. This system will be introduced next year and will only be available to “high-skill players who are serious about improvement.”
More information on the admission requirements for this server will be given later, but it’s assumed that pros and aspiring amateurs will now have their own dedicated server to practice against each other on to improve their skills while competing against some of the best players this region has to offer.
Related: Solo queue is why Western teams failed at Worlds
There have been many discussions around the issues of solo queue in NA, including a dwindling player base, high ping, and more. As a result of this diminished practice, the player base is generally at a lower level than other regions where the environment is better for growth. Eventually, this lower level of play can affect the competitive scene since those same players aren’t getting good enough training outside of scrims with other pro teams. Additionally, aspiring pros aren’t able to get many chances to improve themselves since all they have to use is solo queue.
The Champions Queue might not be a complete solution, but it should give NA players a base point where they can help their competitive scene get more meaningful play against opponents who are much more reliable and talented than before. This could help give NA’s squads a better chance at flourishing as the new year comes along.
Make sure to follow us on YouTube for more esports news and analysis.
