"Are esports just done in NA?" - Twitch community shocked at Riot suspending rank requirements for League of Legends LCS

A new update regarding the LCS (League Championship Series) was shared on the r/LivestreamFail subreddit amid the LCSPA (League of Legends Championship Series Player Association) vs Riot Games controversy. Prominent esports journalist Travis Gafford claimed the game's developer has decided to suspend rank requirements for esports players to compete in the professional league.

Over 211 community members shared their thoughts on the debacle, with Redditor u/formaldehid wondering if esports was "done" in North America. Their comment reads:

"Are esports just done in NA? DOTA and CS (Counter-Strike) is also dying and I refuse to believe that it's a coincidence."

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What Travis Gafford revealed about upcoming changes to League of Legends LCS

During the most recent episode of the Hotline League podcast, Travis Gafford claimed to have received an update from multiple sources regarding Riot Games' decision to suspend ranked requirements for professional League of Legends LCS players. He stated:

"Don't think this news has broken yet. But, I've heard from multiple sources... within an hour of the show starting, that Riot is officially suspending the requirements to play in the LCS. So, now you can be of any rank and you can play from anywhere! You can play from home, even."

Gafford started laughing and suggested that anyone could now participate in the esports scene, saying:

"On Thursday, if you would like to be a pro player - so, you, I, Mark, Phil, all eligible to compete in the LCS at this time."

Phil Aram chimed in, joking about a Bronze 3 League of Legends team that "spoke in solidarity" and refused to be a part of the LCS:

"I saw a Bronze 3 stack that spoke out in solidarity, saying that they wouldn't consider being scabs, and they might be regretting that now. It was a good work opportunity for those Bronze 3s."

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Twitch community responds to the contentious decision

As mentioned earlier, Riot Games' contentious decision to remove ranked requirements was a hot topic of conversation on the streamer-focused forum. According to Redditor u/Leading-Primary2313, several college teams claimed to have been contacted, only to refuse:

Another Reddit user, u/Eccmecc, believed the "esports bubble" is bursting at the moment. They cited the example of Counter Logic Gaming (CLG) ceasing to exist and commented:

One community member said it would be amusing if professional DOTA players began playing in place of League of Legends pros:

Here are some more relevant responses:

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The LCSPA's walkout was announced on May 28, 2023, after Riot Games ignored the body's proposal to improve conditions for the League of Legends NACL (North American Challengers League) and LCS. Readers can learn more about the entire controversy by clicking here.