How Fantasy LCS is Changing League of Legends

My LemonCityState roster

If you are not paying attention to the changing landscape of eSports, especially as it related to League of Legends, DotA 2, and Twitch streaming for competitive game devs, you're missing out on a fascinating transformation.

Six weeks into Fantasy LCS and I am loving the eSports fantasy experience. There are a lot of improvements Riot can implement into the system to make it more user friendly, but the strategy and thought I put into it is almost as satisfying as fantasy football. And like someone with a gambling habit might say, the games are a little sweeter if you've got stakes riding on the outcome.

Of course I've written before about the ways Riot has moved closer to creating an eSports culture that borrows heavily from existing sports culture, a potentially troubling maneuver. Fantasy sports deserves a heaping amount of criticism itself, something Scott has actually discussed on the podcast before. In fact, so do collegiate sports, which seems especially relevant considering Riot announced today one university is actually offering a scholarship to pro-League players. Now more than ever we should pay attention to all the pros and cons that come with the changing realm of eSports.

That being said, I'm hopeful Fantasy LCS is one positive step towards increasing the visibility and appreciation of the amazing skill on display.