Over the course of the past few months, the North American League of Legends community has faced many difficult questions and concerns. Drops in viewerships, historical organizations leaving the LCS, and scpping obligations for LCS teams to field an NACL roster have shaken the regional and international League fan base. While many are asking how long this crisis period will last, Riot Games has a clear view of the future of its esports ecosystem.
In the first quarter of this year, Riot has detected a “strong year-over-year increase in viewership across all key markets,” Naz Aletaha, global head of LoL esports, told Dot Esports on May 18 while attending the Mid-Season Invitational in London. Aletaha underlined increased interest and engagement compared to what Riot had noted in previous years.