If you don’t play video games you may or may not know about one of the most popular computer games in the world, League of Legends.
Perhaps you are familiar, but did you know they have a professional circuit? The 2018 World Championship for League of Legends peaked at 205 million viewers this past September lasting into the beginning of November.
With almost 2 million viewers watching the final match between the team from China’s LPL Invictus Gaming and Europe’s EULCS (LEC as of the new 2019 season) Fnatic.
The world of professional gaming is becoming more prevalent with professional- player, Faker, from Korea, being mentioned on ESPN. Along with this in the 2018 Spring Split of the North American League of Legends Championship Series (NALCS) the industry had franchised allowing organizations to become permanent partners and not have to face relegation or promotion tournaments.
This brought major industry to League of Legends with organizations such as the Golden State Warriors bringing in their team the Golden Guardians; Clutch Gaming owned by the Houston Rockets; and the team 100 Thieves heavily invested in by Dan Gilbert the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Each team has had varied levels of success amongst long standing organizations of the NALCS such as Team Solo Mid, Counter-Logic Gaming, Team Liquid and others.
It has been one year since franchising in the western region has begun with the NALCS and with that success we are welcoming the League of Legends European Championship (LEC) formerly EULCS.
On Friday January 18th at 9 a.m. PST the LEC will kick off its season with the legendary organization SK Gaming’s new team against veteran organization and 2018 Worlds finalist Fnatic.
The NALCS will start on Saturday January 26th at 2 p.m. PST with 2018 World Semifinalist Cloud 9 against the new and highly anticipated lineup of Team Liquid.
Free access to watching the games as well as times for all other leagues is available on League of Legends viewing platform, lolesports.com.
By Kevin Miller