After weeks and weeks of sitting on the sting of your seats and biting your nails to see which League of Legends groups are worthy of the LEC title, we lastly have a winner—G2 Esports. However, LEC hasn’t been as profitable this 12 months since viewership has dropped by 50 p.c from 2022 to 2023.
In response to Esports Charts information from July 31, LEC’s peak viewership has dropped by 53 percent, when in comparison with LEC Summer split 2022. Final 12 months, LEC recorded 732,573 viewers throughout finals whereas this 12 months, the finals between G2 and Excel Esports held on July 30 solely had 325,193 followers watching.
Associated: G2 share their incredible LoL scrim stats, and it’s no wonder they won another LEC title
The typical LEC viewership has additionally gone down from 211,743 to 172,558, which is an 18.5 p.c decline.
This 12 months, the EMEA Championship made drastic changes to its format, switching from video games being performed solely two days per week to 3 days per week, common cut up video games being performed in better of three codecs, and topping all that off with modifications to Championship factors, the principle metric used to maintain monitor of which groups qualify for Worlds.
Because of this, professional gamers are taking part in much less consequential video games and the group has little to no real interest in watching matches that gained’t have any affect on the ultimate standings.
“Anticipated. The ultimate was just about meaningless. No Worlds spot, nothing to achieve for the summer season ultimate, performed within the studio with a bit of crowd, no huge opening ceremonies, no hype. Riot Europe has loads to do to deliver some which means to the cut up winners in LEC as a result of I don’t suppose many care who wins these splits they usually appear manner much less impactful than those within the outdated format. And it was a fast stomp too + XL doesn’t deliver many viewers, which didn’t assist,” defined one fan in League’s subreddit post from July 30.
Associated: All teams qualified for 2023 LoL World Championship
If LEC continues down this path, I’d say we will count on the viewership to drop much more as a result of why would you watch video games which is able to merely don’t affect the groups’ standing and their possibilities at qualifying Worlds?
To be completely sincere, I now not take pleasure in LEC, though I used to be an enormous fan up to now and didn’t miss a single recreation. I discover the format to be excruciatingly boring and I agree with every part the group has stated, however, extra importantly, I now not see Europe as a aggressive area. Every year, LEC champions are eradicated by Asian groups which merely have a greater grasp on the meta, distinctive picks, and game-breaking methods that at all times depart the Western gamers shocked and awed.
Hopefully, I’m unsuitable and Worlds 2023 will knock my socks off and depart me shocked and awed.
Concerning the writer
