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The game has millions of players around the world, who also watch matches online played by professional gamers for massive cash prizes. SKL is Saskatchewan’s own local competitive scene for League of Legends, and is now in its second season.

What started out as a social gaming group turned into a competitive team when SKL was founded last year.

The team is now made up of Ryan, his brother Chad and their cousins Dylan and Joshua Carroll. Then there’s Jayson Fraser and his sister Jocelyn, as well as family friend Denzel Fehr. Jocelyn and Denzel serve as backups, while the rest are in the starting lineup.

Photo by MICHAEL BELL / Regina Leader-Post

While most of the teams in SKL organized themselves online, the players on Fellowship of the Nerds already knew each other. And they feel that connection gives them an edge.

“We’re very close-knit group of people that, outside of League, actually hang out,” said Chad Bosgoed.

As the support player, Chad helps out his teammates by doling out shields and health, as opposed to leading the charge.

Jocelyn Fraser, 23, is an active athlete and currently plays for a broomball team, a favourite sport in small Saskatchewan towns such as Vibank, where she and her brother Jayson are from. A veteran of organized sports, Jocelyn is used to being picked up by a team and having to work to build chemistry with other players. However, with her team in SKL it’s already there.

“When everyone’s down in Regina we all try to schedule something to meet up…We do other things besides play video games together,” said Jocelyn, who looks after the top pathway of the map, hence the term Top Laner.

The team makes an effort to play together online at least every other day. Leading up to a match, members will scout the opposing team to try and figure out their strategies. After it’s over, they’ll reconvene to discuss which tactics worked and which ones failed.

Photo by MICHAEL BELL / Regina Leader-Post

When a match isn’t going so well, tensions will sometimes run high. But unlike playing with random strangers on the Internet, the group is more willing to work out any disagreements.

As the more relaxed teammate, Chad is the one who can calm everyone down when things are rough. If there’s an argument between two players, those not involved will step in to mediate.

“If we have a problem it’s usually not that big, and we’ll be over it by the next day. It’s not like it’s going to be lingering there,” said Dylan Carroll, whose job as AD Carry is to deal as much damage to the enemy team as he can.