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How Riot keeps League of Legends fans hooked year-round

Rift Rivals tournament is about more than regional pride

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How Riot keeps League of Legends fans hooked year-round
Esther Pang
This article originally appeared on ABACUS
Rift Rivals kicked off this week, as 42 teams in five cities around the globe battle for bragging rights in their region. Started just last year, it’s one of League of Legends’ newest international tournaments.
But there’s more than just regional pride at stake. It’s also about keeping viewers hooked.

The week-long event sits at the perfect time to keep the momentum going during the traditional lull between May’s Mid-Season Invitational and the World Championship, held towards the end of the year.

Rift Rivals kicked off this week. (Picture: Riot Games)
Rift Rivals kicked off this week. (Picture: Riot Games)
It also shows how MOBAs still dominate international esports even as more and more games like Overwatch and Fortnite grow. During the Mid-Season Invitational, around 60 million unique viewers watched the finals between Royal Never Give Up and KINGZONE DragonX, with the average concurrent viewership staying at around 11 million viewers.

For the first time, the Overwatch League has a female player

Rift Rivals is being played in Sydney, Ho Chi Minh City, Sao Paulo, Dalian, and Los Angeles. South East Asia (SEA), Oceania (OPL), and Japan (LJL) were the first to start on Monday and OPL is showing up strong across the board, as Dire Wolves went undefeated for the first two days. Unfortunately for Japanese fans hoping for a repeat of last year’s victory, the LJL is lagging behind. We’ll see who can really prove their prowess during the finals’ “blind relay” format, with no chance for counter picks.

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