Riot resumed LCS Spring Split despite majority of pros voting against it

The League of Legends Championship Series resumed its 2020 Spring Split after adopting an online structure despite a majority of pros voting against continuing the league.

Before revitalizing the league in its new format, Riot Games contacted the LCS Players Association (PA) to get the general sentiment about reopening the league after its lengthy hiatus, reported by Travis Gafford.

Gafford was made aware that “close to two-thirds” of the players surveyed voted by the PA were in favor of canceling the Spring Split citing safety reasons, among others.

The assessment talking to the PA executive committee decided the league should be closed since “Spring Split doesn’t matter, the [player] break wouldn’t be long enough before Summer Split, and general safety concerns,” they told Gafford.

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Nearly 100 pro players from the Players Association, which encompasses LCS and Academy teams, were asked whether they prefer the Spring Split be canceled or go fully remote?

Of the players who responded, over half reportedly were against the league starting back up again. Though the vote was never meant to be a final decision, Riot wanted to know the mindset of players before making the final call.

But the company’s decision to start the LCS back up despite the survey made some within the PA feel “disappointed,” according to Gafford.

Further discussions with the PA revealed that there were a lot of players who come from abroad that just wanted to be home amid the escalating concerns worldwide.

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In recent LCS history, teams rely on their incredible talent sourced from overseas to make their teams competitive. Due to the recent developments happening worldwide, some players could realistically be barred from going back home, if they aren’t already.

Oshin Tudayan / Riot Games

Riot surveyed the players if they would prefer to cancel the LCS Spring Split or move it online.

The situation gets even murkier when considering how much is at stake this split. LCS orgs in low standing and Academy teams might not feel they have much to risk if the league were to cancel the spring competitions, while others could argue the opposite.

Riot Games, the LCS, and its teams/players find themselves in a unique predicament that will likely come up again soon, as the current ongoing global situation continues to have direct implications for leagues worldwide.