More teams in the LEC – will a rise to 12 spots follow?

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The LEC was announced in 2018 and launched in 2019 as the successor to the European League of Legends Championship Series (EU LCS), the premier competition in Europe. Organizations can apply for a permanent place and, if successful, have been accepted into the ten-player league by the organizing company Riot Games for a large sum of money.

The teams were previously part of the European LCS Participation cost 8 million eurosNew applicants had to pay 10.5 million euros. In the meantime, the value of the LEC slot has increased significantly, and 2021 . is sold out Schalke 04 licensed for 26.5 million euros for the Swiss organization Team BDS.

The increase shows a growing interest in LEC. Above all, teams from La Ligue Française (LFL) or Spanish SuperLiga (SL), the two most popular European leagues under the LEC, can keep an eye on the continent’s most important competition. Karmine Corp and KOI are two institutions from France and Spain founded by very famous influencers. Their teams in the LFL and SuperLiga have achieved a whopping six-figure views for quite some time, which is comparable to that of the LEC.

The range makes it attractive

This makes these organizations very attractive to the LEC, which is why increasing the number of teams to 12 would not be out of the question in the future. This way it will be possible to “bring the best and most importantly, the teams with the most access to the LEC,” as LoL expert Jona “JustJohnny” Schmidt explained to esports.com. However, according to the former broker in the main German-speaking Strauss League, it will also be possible for the LFL to become a second LEC in the long run. This will then lead to two Pan-European Leagues.

subordinate LEC Commissioner Maximilian Schmidt He asked some fan questions on Discord at the beginning of February. The possibility of increasing the league to 12 places was also discussed. Riot Games is always checking with teams and partners if increasing slots is an option for the future. However, some things must be taken into consideration.

Game days will be long

Many factors must be considered before making such a decision. According to Schmidt, “planning, the shape of the competition, finances, the economy and even the number of players, talents and employees” play a central role. After all, these will be necessary to support the new LEC teams.

This will also add a greater cost and organization factor to Riot. In Johnny’s view, the production would also be a massive extra effort to manage. In addition, game days will be longer, as there will be six games instead of five games per day in the current format. This may encounter headwinds, especially from fans.

subordinate LEC Commissioner He was also asked about a possible format change from best of the best or best of the three. These extended matches are not an ideal experience for viewers who want to follow all the LEC games and stories. “Bo3s are usually difficult to plan especially for and mean a lot of time on the part of viewers.” If the LEC is also increased to 12 slots, game days will be significantly longer.

Increase can come

However, Riot Games does not seem to conflict with the theme of the increase in principle. The company will regularly review and evolve its format further, according to Schmidt. A lot also depends on the wishes of viewers. Therefore, they are consulted about the form of the LEC to ensure the best experience.

In addition, it must also eventually match the LEC product. Before Riot Games addresses far-reaching changes such as increasing or changing the format, several precautions will be necessary. After all, according to Schmidt, the LEC is a unique combination of competition and entertainment, which must also be preserved in the future.

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Image source: LEC