Team Whales upstaging BDS in reverse sweep sparks more calls for LoL to scrap best-of-ones

The surprising reverse sweep by Team Whales over European fourth-seed Team BDS at the 2023 World Championship has, for many League of Legends fans, settled the debate that best-of-ones should be scrapped in League pro play.

Many fans agreed after the Oct. 11 match that best-of-threes would be the better option, at a minimum, as they better showcase a team’s ability to adapt, problem-solve, and loosen up to play at their full potential.

This long-standing argument was only solidified today after Team Whales stunned BDS in games two and three in the Worlds 2023 Play-In stage, players are claiming.

There are some downsides to this, of course; Riot Games tournament officials would have to increase the duration of regional tournaments like the North American LCS and European LEC and have fewer teams competing each day. If they can’t add more matchday it would mean longer hours and more staffing needed to host events.

Some fans also think best-of-ones are fine because pro players should be able to “take anything thrown at them,” including one-and-done matches.

Certain regions, like the LEC, are already reducing the number of best-of-ones, which many League players think has helped teams show their true talents, and other regions, like South Korea and China, are already employing best-of-threes across their regular seasons.

The LCS and LEC used to have best-of-threes. However, due to viewership issues, they decided to go back to best-of-ones because they were getting the same amount of viewers, regardless of whether they were doing one or three games.

This isn’t the first time this particular topic has popped up in the League community either. We’ve debated whether professional games should be best-of-ones or, at a minimum best-of-threes, for as long as the esport has been around. One thing is clear, though: we just can’t come to a conclusion regarding which is better.

This year, at Worlds 2023, there is a trimmed amount of best-of-ones, with the Swiss stage the only place they pop up in the prestigious event in South Korea this year.

All the Play-Ins matches today, starting later on this morning with a clash between PSG and LLL, and then later CFO and TW, will all be best-of-five series.