by Jerrod "Thousand Eyes" Steis
Now that the expansion tournament has finished up and we have two new teams added to the LCS (Congrats to Curse Academy and Coast), we have ten teams in the LCS. Having ten teams is a huge step in the right direction for E-Sports and the LCS in general. Whether or not these teams succeed is irrelevant, and to be perfectly honest, without a substantial growth in strategy both in game and picks/bans, neither team will make playoffs. Still, there’s a lot more to gain here than just some new teams added to the split.
Better Strategic Planning
First off, having two more teams means more diverse and well planned games. No longer will one team have to end up playing twice in one week at times. Each week will be even for every team in terms of strategizing. There were many times last split that we saw random upsets in super weeks, and most of those upsets were from lack of preparation for the “perceived” lower team. Now with ten teams, super weeks are gone from the schedule and teams have a full week to prepare for their games. This will help teams that struggled with consistency at times due to splitting their efforts. Of course, this may or may not be the actual issue that some teams had.
More Pro Players = More E-sports Money
Having more players in the LCS will mean the overall economy of the LCS will improve. There are more opportunities for sponsors, more players getting paid, more games to watch. The list goes on and on. If as a whole we want E-Sports to expand, it’s integral that we add more teams because it gives more opportunities. More chances for players, but also more chances for all other areas like support staff and such. Hopefully these new teams will be able to bring more people and consequently more money to E-Sports and the LCS.
Expansion Brought Hype to Challenger Scene
The 4 team double elimination bracket was a great success. No series was a sweep and there were even a few teams that were down 0-2 that pulled out a 3-2 win. The games, while sloppy, were also extremely entertaining and exciting. They got us interested in teams we didn't know before and we watched as some people had dreams come true and others had theirs crushed. While two of the teams didn't make it, they were guaranteed a spot in the challenger series that is on after the LCS every week. The challenger series had always been lackluster in views. Now that people were able to see some of the teams that are involved, it should boost the viewership and fans of the series.
More Teams Creates a Larger More Diverse Fan Base
One of the large issues with the LCS currently is that with only 8 teams, the choices of what team you want to root for are limited. As the LCS expands, different teams will come in and it will give fans a much richer choice on who they want to support. Whether it’s because of champions that they play or strategies or even if it’s just their personalities. Higher population means higher chance of relating in some way or another.
Better Chance for Players to Grow on LAN
Finally, the players themselves will have a greater chance to grow on a LAN setting and on stage. There’s always been a large difference between playing on-line and playing live on LAN. Some players excel at it and some players flop. Getting more players to experience it though is great. A lot of players find that they excel in LAN and on stage setting and it’s possible we see that from one of the Curse Academy players. It will also be easier to grasp which players are really able to handle being on stage and playing live and under pressure. Some people just can’t handle being in front of so many people when playing and living in that kind of environment.
While adding more teams may not immediately enhance the level of play, it will improve the overall outlook of the LCS. We’re a long way from anything the size of the NFL or Premier League, we’re growing and making progress. All great things come in small steps and this is probably one of the most integral steps we've taken so far.
