“90% of the Challenger teams are training daily for several hours with their goals set on LCS. Of course, many - if not all - of the Challenger teams and players are looking to make the jump into the LCS. These leagues that are going to be put in place are good, but there's a pretty large gap between a majority of the Challenger teams and the LCS teams right now.” However, the only complaint that I really have is that I wish they would've developed the challenger scene structure a bit earlier. “I think Riot is doing a fantastic job at expanding e-sports and I don't think anyone could really argue otherwise. ![]() Newton shares that sentiment, but has a slightly more positive take on how Riot handles Challengers as a whole. “I suppose isn't something Riot can do about it, but the competitive Challenger scene is very flawed.” “Several amateur teams has been set back from LCS/Established scouting amateur players,” says Gold Gaming LA mid laner Aaron 'Bischu' Kim. Player poaching by professional teams isn’t uncommon, either. Usually 4 hours then a 1 hour dinner break, and then another 4 hours of scrims.” After a while with little to no financial stability, the long hours and lack of guaranteed future payment can weigh heavy on their lives.Īs CLG sub Sohn puts it, “Most people drop out because they've been at it for too long and end up having to go to school.” As a result, amateur teams often lose high-tier players, making it increasingly difficult for them to stay competitive. “Currently, I'm practicing 8 hours of scrims a day. Philip 'NydusHerMain' Sohn has a similar practice schedule. However, the only complaint that I really have is that I wish they would've developed the challenger scene structure a bit earlier." Dylan 'AtomicN' Newton There's also time to watch replays and matches to be played depending on the day.” “I solo queue everyday for about 3-4 hours and then I have team practice on top of that for another 4-5 hours. “It does take a lot a of your time,” says Newton. “If I wasn’t currently on a team with a sponsor to provide me with food/housing, I honestly wouldn’t be able to continue playing League,” says Newton.īurnout is something that all players playing at this level have to deal with, particularly with the huge amount of time they need to spend playing. Many players manage to stay afloat by way of revenue from streaming - see popular streamers like Tim 'Trick2G' Foley or James 'PhantomL0rd' Varga, for example - but there are other ways of making cash. With irregular amateur tournaments, making money has been rather difficult in recent years, forcing a lot of players out of the scene. Without the backbone of sponsorships or a team salary, many Challenger players have to win in order to get paid. The support player for team Denial.East isn’t exactly in a unique position for players of his caliber. “Having enough to support myself as a full-time challenger player is probably the toughest obstacle I've been facing,” says Dylan 'AtomicN' Newton. Dylan 'AtomicN' Newton - Photo Credit: /AtomicN Most of all, how do they find a way to support themselves while keeping up with the huge training regimen that is required to play at the top of their game? We sat down with a few players to ask. Of course, being semi-pro means these guys face a lot of challenges. Well, and a little bit of streaming cash. ![]() They’re folks playing for the love of the game. They’re not competing on the biggest stages in the world. They haven’t been recruited into LCS teams. However, many of them aren’t pros in the sense we’ve become accustomed to. ![]() ![]() The top 50 players in any region make the cut into this elite group of players, and it’s undeniable that they’ve earned their spots there. Where baseball has the minors to recruit new players from, League of Legends has the Challenger tier of Summoners. This article was originally published on GameSpot's sister site, which was dedicated to esports coverage.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |