The world’s largest PC gaming title remains as popular as ever in South Korea.
League of Legends now accounts for 32 percent of all time played in the nation’s internet cafes, known locally as PC bangs. This growth comes roughly three months after the MOBA title regained the top spot on the list, following an eight-month absence due to the release of Blizzard’s Overwatch.
Between June and November 2016, Overwatch soared past League as the most popular game in South Korea, becoming the first title in nearly four years to do so. While Overwatch remains popular in the East Asian nation’s PC bangs, the game has seen a considerable drop in popularity, from 26 percent of game time to 18 percent. That appears to stem from a recent change to Overwatch’s terms of service agreement to combat cheaters.
Before Feb. 14, players on South Korea’s server were able to evade bans by simply making North American accounts. Players would then play Overwatch for free in PC bangs. Now, however, users with North American accounts must have purchased a copy of the game if they wish to play on the South Korean server.
Another explanation offered to the drop in popularity is that the current competitive Overwatch season is reaching its conclusion, meaning the leaderboard will be resetting shortly.
Despite the considerable drop in popularity, Overwatch remains as the second most popular game in South Korean PC bangs, putting it ahead of other popular titles such as Sudden Attack and Maple Story.
