In the wee hours of the morning on May 23rd, Riot announced the creation of the Rift Rivals, five separate tournaments that has regions clashing against their counterparts. North America versus Europe, the LCL versus TCL, the LCK versus the LMS versus the LPL, the GPL versus LJL versus OPL, and the LLN versus CBLOL versus CLS.
Many were surprised at this announcement as it comes just two days after the Mid-Season Invitationals closed on May 21st, and with almost no build-up to the grand unveiling. Thus, most were extremely skeptical about the timing, as well as the format for this tournament, and how it would come to impact the League of Legends scene competitively.
Some reacted negatively to the announcement, citing that this is Riot’s way of subtly pushing SKT out of the spotlight they have dominated for so long, to allow for other teams to have a chance for glory, as well as addressing the issue of League of Legends being dropped from IEM due to scheduling conflicts (confirmed earlier this week). Others have commented that this will instigate more hate between regions, in addition to making players and fans more divisive.
Although these concerns and statements do have some element of truth behind them, this is actually a huge step forward for the competitive scene of League of Legends. Not only does the introduction of another international stage open up options for the pro scene, it is also the marks the start to a solution for issues that have plagued the scene for many years.
Nothing New Under the Sun
To set the record straight, this concept is nothing new to the League of Legends scene. Pitting certain regions against one another has happened once in the past, and went under the title “Battle of the Atlantic” which put the top 5 North American teams versus their counterparts of Europe.
Back in 2013, the Battle of the Atlantic was possibly the second most hyped event to happen during the off-season, aside from Worlds, given the ongoing flame wars. With the format provided, it was a simple head to head competition, with 5th seed fighting 5th seed, 4th versus 4th, so on and so forth. Points were awarded to each best of third winner, with the 5th and 4th place matches earning one point a piece for the region, 3rd and 2nd earning two each, and the 1st place match gaining three points for their region.
With a simple and straightforward format, both regions were glued to their screens as the Battle of the Atlantic raged on, ending with North America taking the trophy home. However, many were upset that some teams were simply remnants of their old squads. For instance, LemonDogs from Europe had effectively lost three-fifths of their roster prior to the tournament, putting them at a significant disadvantage, whilst others were very upset due to the fact that North America won on the point system, while Europe won by total teams.
It is inevitable that there are still some sore wounds to be nursed – the new announcement by Riot will be a chance to settle these old scores.
Salt and Trash-talk Boosts Interest
The Master of Trashtalking
Photo Credit: http://imgur.com/r/doublelift/QTw7V
Riot has gotten complaints before about how much they seem to be neutering the League community, and catering to the fans who cry of others being “Toxic” and that League should be more “Sportsmanlike”.
To say trash-talk is commonplace in sports would be an understatement. In MMA or any fighting sport, trashtalking and pre-game hype are pushed to the extreme by the companies and media outlets who sponsor the fights to bring in more viewers or spectators. Likewise, basketball rivalries are thrust into the spotlight to showcase when a major showdown is about to occur.
Why can’t Riot do the same? Allowing pros and fans alike to bring rivalries to greater heights by putting their skill, as well as pride, on the line during an international tournament is what esports is all about, and is what drives players to further hone their skills.
Rivalries Elevate Competitive Play
Becoming complacent is quite possibly the worst thing to occur to any player or team. It is something that occurs in a deceptively slow fashion, and tends to creep up unknowingly on individuals who believe they are at the top of their field.
Imagine an environment where there is an absence of external sources of motivation – one where trash-talking is prohibited. There would be no intense rivalries, no sense of danger or threat from one’s opponents. Such an environment promotes complacency which in turn leads to stagnation or even a deterioration in skill.
Having these rivalries and heated battles between regions forces players and teams to either shut up, or put out. If one decides to make a statement, they must be able to back it up. Likewise, those that wish to rise to the top are pushed even further by the hunger to prove their rivals wrong.
Riot should be embracing the possibilities of rivalries and competition between regions. It has been established that allowing for showmanship and trash-talking to exist in any competitive scene will instill additional motivations within teams and individuals to improve and compete for the higher honors. There would be no need to bring SKT down to earth, when every other region is aiming for their throat.