After a busy and thrilling free company interval, the hype surrounding the upcoming LCS season has charged as much as new ranges amongst North American League of Legends followers. However when Riot Video games introduced the controversial modifications to the league’s schedule, issues began to bubble from supporters across the state of the league, together with 100 Thieves’ famous person AD carry Doublelift.
The 29-year-old veteran just lately introduced his return to skilled play with the Thieves this previous offseason, and through his latest stream, he voiced worries about how shifting broadcast hours to Thursday and Friday at noon would have an effect on viewership.
“How a lot proportion drop off may advantage them to rethink the schedule?” Doublelift mentioned. “Clearly, doomsday is [where] the brand new schedule drops, and the LCS has half the viewership from earlier than… Would that be sufficient for the LCS’ managerial employees to revert the change? Or is it a kind of issues the place we have now to simply tank it for a complete yr or a complete cut up?”
Associated: LCS could easily lose more than just its primetime slot after 2023 schedule changes
Considered one of Doublelift’s followers additionally introduced up the truth that even when the league decides to revert the modifications, it could be extraordinarily exhausting to return to the unique format as a result of the brand new NA VALORANT broadcast has taken over the weekend spot on the Riot Video games Area.
Given “Riot’s new favourite youngster” has shifted into place and the LEC additionally has a special schedule to keep away from overlap on weekends, there are various completely different elements that must be moved round to accommodate the LCS if the corporate decides to return issues again to regular. Which means that if viewership numbers start to battle in North America, the LCS must cope with the drops till the tip of the season.
“[Riot has] finessed themselves mentally into considering that is really going to be higher for the LCS,” Doublelift concluded. “What I don’t like about this plan is they’re so positive of it, that there isn’t any manner for them to stroll it again. Worst case state of affairs, we may probably be locked right into a scenario the place LCS has -30 to 50 p.c viewership for a complete yr, and that might suck for everybody attempting to get sponsorships, safe extra funding, or promote their LCS spot to a brand new, shiny investor.”
The 2023 LCS Spring Break up is scheduled to start on Jan. 26.
