The LEC Spring Split has come to an end, with G2 Esports taking the crown over long time rivals Fnatic. League of Legends Fans though weren't too impressed by the big finale.
The 2024 LEC Spring Finals just concluded on March 14, with an exciting match between G2 Esports and Fnatic. An LEC classic. But it seems that once the split concluded and the winners got to go home with a giant trophy, fans realized that the Finals weren't as hype as they could have been.
Last year, the LEC made some major changes to their schedule, which would mean more split finals, but also with a change in location. Fans are now realizing that this change might not be good for the league.
League of Legends: Fans Miss Big LEC And LCS Finals
In 2023 the LEC changed their schedule to make room for more best of three and best of five series, something fans have been asking for. The North American LCS also made some changes this year to their schedule, namely the switch from 10-teams to 8.
Both regions have also decided to only put on one big final a year, with the Split finals taking place at their respective Riot Arenas. It seems that this change has taken away from the hype moments though, with fans on Reddit lamenting the fact that both the LEC and LCS finals this Spring weren't hype at all.
Compare the absolute hype of LCK Finals and regular playoffs of LPL in stadium compared to how unserious the LEC setup looks for a final
LEC Finals in Studios Ruined the League by u/Darkoplax in leagueoflegends
The LPL and LCK, the premium competition in China and South Korea, still play out their semi-finals and finals in large stadiums in front of sold-out crowds. Everyone who knows esports and has been a fan for a while, knows that nothing can top a large stadium filled with fans, but it seems that for the EMEA and North American championship, Riot decided that they wouldn't be hosting such large events multiple times a year.
Viewers of the LEC Finals even stated that they almost forgot that they were watching the Spring 2024 finals. The winner of the game would go on to play in the MSI main round, while the loser would be delegated to the play-in stage of the tournament in Chengdu. With the smaller crowd, viewers felt like they weren't even watching such an important match.
Fans Dreading Worlds Swiss Stage In LEC Studio
It seems that fans are also worried for in-person viewership during the biggest esports event of 2024. Riot just renovated and rebuilt their LEC studio in Berlin to encompass more esports, so obviously they'd want to show it off internationally, but fans are wondering why the entirety of the Swiss Stage will be held in the studio.
Last year they at least had Swiss in a 1.8k seating arena, this year they’ll have 2 weeks of Bo1s and a few Bo3s in that dinky studio.
In 2019, the Group Stage also took place in Berlin, but Riot managed to land the Verti Music Hall, which can seat around 3,000 to 4,000 fans. The Riot studio in Berlin has a much lower capacity than that.
It'll be interesting to see whether Riot takes fan sentiment into account and if there is going to be a change in schedule for future esports events coming in 2025. For now it is likely going to stay the same, with the LEC Summer Split Finals also taking place in the LEC studio.