The players, who are represented by the LCS Players Association (LCSPA), voted to step down after Riot Games announced that LCS teams would not need to field an amateur squad in the North American Challengers League (NACL) starting with the summer season. In the days that followed, many teams said they would not field NACL teams, with some citing the economic challenges of doing so. Players protested these decisions because they cut off an important development pipeline for League of Legends Talent.
In a blog post, Naz Aletaha, Global Head of Riot Games League of Legends esports, said Riot hopes the two-week delay “gives us time for a productive dialogue between the LCSPA, teams and the league, and then resumes LCS competition this summer.” However, Aletaha said that if the season were to be delayed further, “we would be prepared to cancel the entire LCS summer season.” If that happens, Aletaha said the LCS could not qualify for this year’s Worlds, the global tournament that serves as the high point for the competition. League of Legends every year.
On Tuesday night, the LCSPA provided an update on its discussions with Riot. “We met with Riot Games today to request daily meetings – or more, if necessary – to reach a resolution,” he wrote on Twitter. “Starting tomorrow, we plan to begin discussions that will culminate in meaningful collaborative action to get our players back to where they want to be: competing for the fans on the LCS stage.” On Monday, he asked the players do not intervene if he was drafted in to replace exiting LCS players.
Updated May 30, 10:20 p.m. ET: Added a tweet from the LCSPA.
