esports
Riot, KeSPA, and OGN announce tentative new plan for pro play in Korea.
A joint press release sent today from Riot Games, the Korean eSports Association (KeSPA), and OnGameNet (OGN) revealed a new plan for eSports in Korea. The historically complex tournament setup in Korea was never seen as sustainable when compared to the structure of the LCS.
In an effort to simplify and consolidate League in Korea, the three organizations unveiled a plan to bring Korea more in line with the rest of Riot’s regions. A tentative proposal still open for suggestions, the newly outlined structure would create an eight-team league format and limits organizations to one team.
From Tournament to League
In the past, Korea has relied on old eSports structures used for other games to support its pro LoL community. This created a variety of tournaments run by multiple organizations featuring players of varying skill levels.
For example, OGN used points accrued in tournament play in place of a playoff system. Over the course of three annual tournaments, teams would compete for points in order to gain a qualifying spot for Worlds.
Although this setup has worked well for Korea over the past few seasons, Riot is trying to bring all of its regions into line with a single structure. It appears the three organizations have been working on a solution to this issue for some time, and with the conclusion of Worlds are hoping to solidify details soon.
The newly designed structure features eight teams competing over two halves of an eight-month season for a place in the Worlds tournament. The top seven teams will be picked based on past tournament performance, with the eighth getting a seed from a separate qualifier.
No More Sister Teams
Beyond a change in format, the release announced the demise of two-team organizations. Traditionally KeSPA allowed the same organization to field sister teams in tournaments designed for pairs. Beginning next season however, organizations will no longer be able to field more than a single team.
To compliment these changes, team rosters have been expanded to ten players who can all compete in both Korean tournaments and a newly proposed reserves league. The reserves league represents an effort from Riot to bring a larger number of competing teams into the scene.
Riot also outlined a number of other smaller ideas all aimed at improving the professional Korean scene. This includes increased streaming support for players, a minimum salary for pros, and help for teams seeking sponsorship. Players will also be required to sign a one-year contract with their teams before competing.
“We would like to ask for the fans’ sincere concerns and opinions on the proposed plan,” the release stated. “KeSPA, OnGameNet, and Riot Games will continue to heed to the fans’ voices.”
The three organizations will be collecting feedback over the next week and will be holding an open public hearing next Tuesday, November 4.
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