Riot Games has canceled the latest episode of ‘The Dive’ due to the ongoing negotiations with the LCS Players Association (LCSPA) over the LCS player walkout.
Naz Aletaha, Riot Games’ Global Head of LoL Esports, sat down with Mark ‘MarkZ’ Zimmerman and Isaac ‘Azael’ Cummings-Bentley on June 1 to discuss the state of the LCS amid the ongoing walkout saga that has disrupted the start of the Summer Split.
LCS fans waited with bated breath for the release of the episode, hoping to learn whether there had been any progress in the negotiations with the LCSPA. Some submitted their questions and suggested topics for the episode, with Azael vowing to grab “as many as we can to get as much info for the community as possible.”
However, the Canadian caster announced late on June 1 that the episode will not be seeing the light of day.
“Riot is having continued discussions with the LCSPA and over concerns of that affecting those conversations has decided it won’t be getting released,” Azael wrote on Twitter.
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“Sorry to all those disappointed.”
Hey all, unfortunately The Dive episode we recorded yesterday won’t be getting released.Riot is having continued discussions with the LCSPA and over concerns of that affecting those conversations has decided it won’t be getting released.Sorry to all those disappointed.
— Isaac CB (@AzaelOfficial) June 2, 2023
But it’s not just Riot that is holding off on making further comments about this sensitive topic.
Independent reporter Mikhail Klimentov, who broke the story about the walkout vote, revealed a message from LCSPA Executive Director Philip Aram saying that the association is refraining from making further comments to prevent disruptions to the “productive conversations” it is having with Riot Games.
The LCS Summer Split is now scheduled to begin on June 15 after Riot Games pushed back the start date by two weeks. The developer noted that further delays will make it “nearly impossible to run a legitimate competition” and that it will be ready to cancel the Summer season and eliminate the region’s spots at Worlds 2023 if it cannot find common ground with the LCSPA and the teams during this two-week window.