League of Legends, commonly known as LoL, is one of the most popular esports in the world. Just last year four million people (opens in a new tab) watched the LoL Worlds final between Edward Gaming (EDG) and DAMWON Gaming (DWG KIA). So when the opportunity came to see this year’s semi-finals in Atlanta, I wanted to go and see what it was all about.
I’m not very familiar with League, so once I knew I was going I started studying. I’ve watched esports on a few occasions – a great way to kill time working in retail for Microsoft was to watch the Halo Championship Series, but League was largely foreign to me. My only experience was when a former roommate showed me YouTube videos of the 2015 World Cup because they knew I was into games.
I ended up watching this year’s quarterfinal matches and an explanatory video on League which was somewhat helpful. With that knowledge in mind, I went to the State Farm Arena to witness the pinnacle of eSports.
The good: you don’t have to be an expert to enjoy an eSports event
(Image credit: Future)
In retrospect, I prepared more than necessary to enjoy myself, although I’m glad I did. The only thing that allowed me to watch the quarter-finals was to focus on a team to cheer for, in this case DragonX (DRX). They were a game team (opens in a new tab) from the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) that beat the reigning EDG champions to make it to the semifinals. Basically, they were the brave underdog story.
But I didn’t need to know all this to have fun. All I needed was a 20 minute explanatory video which, frankly, still didn’t answer all my questions. But it was enough to get to know the basics of the gameplay and be able to follow what was going on.
Even if I hadn’t seen it, there were still the commentators and the crowd. The commentators have been good, if not the most helpful. They were clearly knowledgeable and could hear the ebb and flow of the game. But they were a bit dumb, literally. There were times when I couldn’t hear them in the crowd. When I watched the games on YouTube before the event, I had no problem following it.
(Image credit: Future)
However, even if you can’t hear the commentators, the crowd has you covered. I’ve been to concerts, sporting events, etc. and I can hardly think of one I’ve been to that was as loud as the Atlanta crowd. The second day, which was Gen. G, the reigning LCK champion, versus DRX, the aforementioned brave underdog, was particularly thrilling. The crowd has been screaming for DRX all day, peaking at key moments to really keep you in suspense. The closest thing I can describe it to is right before your team is about to score and you feel the expectation physically build within you. I had the same feeling in the LoL Worlds semi-finals and I barely knew how to play.
The Bad: It’s long and doesn’t satisfy new fans
Up until this point, I haven’t really explained how LoL works, because frankly how it works is largely irrelevant whether I enjoyed watching it or not. However, if I hadn’t done my homework over the weekend, I definitely wouldn’t have gotten out of it knowing much more about the game than when I started.
(Image credit: Future)
And that was going to be a long weekend of ignorance. The way a LoL Worlds esports match works is essentially that each team builds up over time until one of them can make the pivotal move to destroy the opponent’s Nexus. This can take anywhere from 30 to 50 minutes when the teams are the best in the world, especially as the game is designed to allow teams to take their time. One of the objectives that teams can take down to give themselves a buff, the Elder Dragon, doesn’t even spawn until the 35-minute mark (opens in a new tab). It doesn’t have to spawn to win, but many teams build a dragon-slaying strategy in League.
Oh, and it’s a best of five series every time. So if it goes far, a streak of LoL eSports can take five hours. Even compared to a baseball game, it’s long. I feel a desire to secure the victory of the best team, but finding a way to reduce the series to a three-hour affair would probably help attract the casual fan.
Not that the World Cup is dedicated to casual fans. It wasn’t even specifically exclusive, but this is a tournament for the diehard fans. People from literally all over the world flocked to Atlanta this weekend, and both days were described as sold out by an Arena spokesperson. While not all seats were occupied, I can tell you it was close enough. So, if you are a beginner like me, don’t expect the game to be explained to you. You must know how to enter.
Perspectives: Overall, esports were surprisingly affordable and you should check them out
(Image credit: Future)
The semi-finals of LoL Worlds 2022 definitely felt like a sporting event and I mean that as a sincere compliment. The crowd was electrifying and when they left you were right there with them. Yes, it’s hard to learn just by going to the event – you’ll have to do some homework – but even a basic level of knowledge can keep you entertained.
Plus, you’re not limited to League of Legends if you want to get into esports, although the World Cup is certainly the most popular esports event. The most notable that allow for in-person viewing are The International from Dota 2, which has a similar setup to LoL Worlds in terms of the tournament itself. Like LoL Worlds, it takes place every year around the world in different locations. Intel also has the Intel Extreme Masters, which hosts international tournaments in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Starcraft II. But there is also a Watch League and a Missile League Series championship. Basically, if it’s a popular multiplayer game, there’s a chance it has an eSports counterpart.
Of all the esports events, the wildest may be the Evolution Championship Series (EVO). It’s a tournament fighting game literally open to anyone 13 and older, although younger players can sign up with parental supervision. Double elimination, no qualification required. Talk about accessibility.
