League of Legends esports is getting big changes in the 2024 season. Looking to start following the action or invest in the scene? Here’s all you need to know ahead of the action.
LCS Changes in 2024
The League of Legends community has been talking (mostly positively) about the changes in the LCS, which include a new competitive format, schedule, and fan engagement opportunities.
The LCS is back on the weekends! The matches will take place at the Riot Games Arena in Los Angeles on Saturdays and Sundays.
All LCS matches will be played on the live game patch, meaning when a new patch drops, the LCS will be a “must-watch” to see pros take on the meta. Pros will no longer need to practice two versions of the game, allowing them to perform optimally on stage. And we all get to see their big brain builds, inspiring our own gameplay.
There will also be reduced match downtime after listening to feedback from fans. This includes pre-recording the drafts for regular season matches so the analyst desk can focus on creating content.
The LCS will also explore different tools that can improve engagement during live broadcasts. This includes polls and predictions, but Riot wants to take it further. Co-streaming is also coming back. This will hopefully bring in a larger North American audience.
LCK & LPL Continue to Dominate
As the two most popular regions in League of Legends esports, there are no changes in 2024 in regards to format or fan engagement. These regions are the most viewed, including drawing in a big international audience.
According to Esports Charts, the grand finals of the LCS Summer Split Finals between T1 and Gen.G generated a peak viewership of 1.53 million. For comparison, the LCS Summer Split grand finals had a viewership of 223,943.
LEC Schedule Changes
In 2024, the LEC will have some schedule changes in hopes of better supporting the teams and their players. There will be an extended break between the Winter and Spring Split and a longer break between the Spring Split and MSI. These breaks will be increased by a week. But there will be a reduced break between the Summer Split and Season Finals.
Added Riot: “We’re putting more emphasis on Summer Split performance this year, with our Summer Champion automatically qualifying for Worlds as the lowest seed. Our Summer 2nd and 3rd placed teams will also qualify for the LEC Season Finals regardless of their CP or past results.”
The LEC has great viewership, with 344,000 people tuning in for the Summer Split. But this is probably because the LEC has been split into three seasons: Winter, Spring, and Summer. Winter had 556,000, and Spring had 572,000. The Finals between G2 and Fnatic had 654,942 peak viewers, proving that their most popular teams continue to pull in viewership from all over the world.
The schedule and fan-focused changes in 2024 will create more engagement in every region, especially the LCS. With so many fans paying closer attention to streams in order to see analyst content and participate in polls, this is the perfect time for investors and sponsors to take a closer look at LCS broadcasting opportunities.
