With the 2023 LCS Summer Split looming, the League of Legends community is anxiously waiting for more news after the LCS Players Association announced that the league’s collective player base agreed to walk out on the opening day of the season.
Only two days remain before the start of the season, and as a result, Riot Games may finally be making some moves to help ensure that the league isn’t delayed for more than it needs to be. Riot is reportedly meeting with the Players Association today to discuss the league-wide walkout, according to investigative reporter Hunter Cooke.
These events are directly correlated to Riot’s recent decision to remove an important mandate that required LCS organizations to field Challengers League teams to support NA’s tier-two scene. After removing the mandate, seven teams disbanded their NACL rosters, leaving many different players and staff members without a job.
Related: What is the LCS walkout and what does it mean?
In addition, many fans, players, and prominent members of the League scene believe the region’s path to pro is now much more uncertain than ever before since the tier-two scene was left barebones without the support of these major organizations.
Some former LCS players even suggested that any aspiring pros should move to Europe to join the EMEA Regional Leagues since they seem like a much more reliable path to a spot on a top-tier roster instead of sticking it out in NA’s current system.
LCSPA executive director Phillip Aram has been very vocal about his stance around the walkout and how proud he is of the players and their decision to walk out on the league. He and the Players Association have been vigilant in convincing the region’s player base to not become “scab players” for an LCS team that is simply looking to field any sort of roster for opening day.
The Players Association simply hopes this upcoming meeting with Riot will be “productive,” though it didn’t mention any other details in the report by Cooke.
The 2023 LCS Summer Split is currently scheduled to begin on Thursday, June 1.
Published: May 30, 2023 02:42 pm