Mentioned in this article Games: League of Legends, Overwatch

Imagine trying to watch your favorite sport without professional commentary. It would completely change the experience of a match. Just like traditional sports, calls from commentators is essential to transform the experience of simply watching people play a game into a full-blown spectator experience.

Now imagine having your favorite commentator broadcasting over your own gameplay. This is exactly what Riot Games plans to roll out to League of Legends esports fans during the upcoming 2018 Mid-Season Invitational (MSI). Broadcasting duos from each region have recorded over 500 unique lines each that will trigger dynamically in-game based on how a match unfolds.

Part of the cleverness of this integration is that it is customized to each region. North American fans will be treated—for free—to the stylings of NA LCS’ David “Phreak” Turley and Sam “Kobe” Hartman-Kenzler, meanwhile European fans will experience calls from Trevor “Quickshot” Henry and Eefje “sjokz” Depoortere of the EU LCS. Other regions will get their own casters in-game, as well.

By segmenting this activation, Riot is emphasizing the regional pride it is looking to embrace during the international event. According to Ambrielle Army, esports product manager at Riot Games, the “focus for content and experiences at MSI is to promote this sense of regional pride and fandom.”

This activation uniquely places esports front and center for casual fans, serving as a unique form of outreach. Having shoutcasters “commentate” casual matches gives these fans a glimpse into the world of esports, banking its success on the inherent appeal of stepping into the shoes of the best players in world.

This isn’t the only way Riot plans to add an esports feel to amateur League during MSI. To further add to the esports experience, Riot is also making some in-game cosmetic changes. Banners with the MSI logo will fly in each team’s base and MSI accents will be added to each of the game’s lanes, effectively the esports equivalent of the NBA finals logo being emblazoned on the basketball court.

Additionally, the free team-branded icon players will receive as part of the promotion will add the team’s prefix to their in-game name. These icons also have the added benefit of generating revenue for the teams being represented, with certain icons being available for purchase after free ones are unlocked by way of in-game missions.

So why does this matter?

This is part of a larger trend to appeal to a game’s casual fan base by promoting esports. Similar to how the Puppy Rumble was utilized to promote Overwatch esports and the OWL to the game’s fans, Riot is giving League players an easy way to experience the appeal of esports. While this activation may not be the main way Riot Games will entice fans to begin playing the game itself, this push certainly gives those already in the League of Legends ecosystem a direct path into consuming its esports content.