As competitive League of Legends continues to grow as a global phenomenon, Riot Games must constantly adapt how they present competitions like the LCS and the LEC.





While coverage of a team’s performance suits mainstream sports just fine, League is a different beast altogether. Games can be won and lost in single-player matchups, and contests can sometimes run for more than 15 minutes before becoming focused on fights and neutral objectives.





One of League’s biggest competitors in the esports market holds a probable solution for Riot’s next step forward—Blizzard’s new Overwatch Command Center.





Heading into Season Two of the Overwatch League, Blizzard has implemented an All-Access Command Center in partnership with Twitch. Based around giving fans the option to “customize their viewing experience,” the program has changed the way viewers watch the OWL.





Premium viewing systems on Twitch or other streaming platforms is an element of esports fandom Riot Games is sorely missing in their League of Legends coverage, and fans are beginning to cry out for it.





League fans recently took to Reddit to express their interest in a product similar to Blizzard’s new Overwatch feature. Now, Riot Games should embrace that desire for an in-depth experience and step into the future of esports fandom.





Embracing change









Since the LCS was first founded in 2013, Riot Games has made very few changes to the overall viewing experience for loyal and casual fans. While this year has seen the newly-founded LEC trial a new pick-ban layout, graphics, in-game features, and overall aesthetics have for the most part remained the same across the world.





That’s not to say that Riot hasn’t attempted small changes to how they present competitive League of Legends as a product. Last year’s Mid-Season Invitational, one of a handful of international events hosted by the game developers, saw the rise of a new pick-ban layout. The problem? Viewers took to social media nearly immediately to express distaste for it.





The experiment was a failure, and Riot Games reverted back to the old system within just a few games. That’s not the only change that League has seen in recent times, either.





In the last few years, graphics like the types of drakes that have been defeated by either team has been added to the spectating HUD, while Baron Nashor timers and inhibitor countdowns have both made their way into the viewer’s experience as well.





For many, these small changes have been positives. For others, particularly those who are looking to learn from competitive League, the way the games are currently shared is not enough to help them grow as players.





They want to see every minion killed, every ability cast, and every single macro movement across the map. They want this all at the tips of their fingers, whenever they want.





Borrowing from Blizzard









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While Riot Games has had player-specific alternate streams in the past, it’s an irregular offering, and uncontrollable. The inability to choose who to spectate means very few viewers actually take advantage of these secondary streams.





Blizzard’s Command Center, included in their OWL All-Access Pass, offers an in-depth version of games played in the competition. That includes the ability to choose which players to follow as the game unfolds.





Viewers can watch the game using each player’s point-of-view instead of the primary feed. Alongside that, the “backstage pass” offers real-time stats, alternate in-game camera angles, and exclusive access through secondary footage.





In essence, the average All-Access Pass holder becomes the director of their own Overwatch League experience. They pick the matchups they want to watch, the stories they want to follow, and the players they want to support.





Beyond just the live action, the Command Center program gives fans more in-depth content post-match. OWL viewers also have access to player-hosted analysis of games, breaking down plays, moves and more.





All of these moves by Blizzard to turn the OWL into a premium viewing product has built the groundwork for Riot. For the League developers, it’s a matter of making it fit into their viewers’ interests.





Fandom based on personality





The implementation of a Command Center-style package by Riot also pleases another crowd of League of Legends fans.





For many, fandom in League begins when they find a player streaming the champion they like or playing the same role as them. From there, the average fan may discover the player they’ve been watching competes in professional leagues.





Whether it be Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng, Zaqueri “Aphromoo” Black, or William “Meteos” Hartman, many streaming personalities have added fans to their LCS rosters just by being on the team.





Even if a viewer isn’t watching the LCS to learn, and they’ve just followed the same player for years, they may not be interested in that star’s supporting cast. Henrik “Froggen” Hansen, for example, has traveled through seven teams, three leagues, and two regions since he began on CLG Europe in 2011. Fans tuning in to see Froggen continue his eight-year story may be less invested by the fact their favorite player is just a small part of the overall cast.





Expanding on ideas









Riot has already taken a step forward in this direction by implementing point-of-view streams for big matchups in the LEC and LCS, but it’s only a first step.





Riot now has the perfect opportunity to take the Command Center idea and grow it even further. The pass system gives fans more reason to follow players and teams. The OWL program gifts esports skins, badges, and tags, and, according to Blizzard’s marketing, turns subscribers into “superfans."





Blizzard has laid out a potential path forward for Riot in regards to new viewing experiences. Now the League game developers must take advantage of the idea, and improve on it in their own competitions.





Riot Games should now look to pull the trigger on the next step in esports viewership, mould it into its own style, and see it grow. The game company has long been at the forefront of change within the world of competitive gaming. An immersive and user-controlled way to watch League of Legends is the next step in seeing esports grow long into the future, and create an ever-improving entertainment package for fans and lovers of their game.