The potential expansion of the LEC — the one that might happen in 2023 — is quite a delicate subject. Some folks have been clamoring for it for years. Others, however, have been a lot more hesitant to air their opinions. It’s a fairly divisive topic, and it’s easy to understand why. 

Competitive LoL is in a very solid spot right now. It’s neither a bubble waiting to burst nor the most lucrative of endeavors. It’s stable, is what it is, and that’s good for the time being. Esports as a whole is still somewhat nascent and immature; there’s a lot of shady stuff going on behind the scenes, a lot of nepotism, match-fixing, and everything in between. Everyone’s aware that esports is here to stay. They want in on the action; the sooner you invest, the sooner you’ll be able to get a return on your investment. Since the beginning, the few endemic organizations — the ones part of this whole thing since the beginning — are already reaping the rewards. 

Just reading such a headline makes one feel… strange. $210 million? For naming rights? Esports really must be hitting it big! Whether that’s true or not remains to be seen, but as the saying goes: where there’s smoke, there’s fire. 

So, naturally, no one should be all too surprised that so many organizations (most of which have seemingly “unlimited” VC backing) are trying their hardest to join in on the fun. We knew that a LEC expansion was bound to happen at some point, but it seems that it’ll occur a bit sooner than expected — 2023. 

According to a novel report by Esportsmaniacos, the 10 LEC permanent partners will all convene with Riot at some point in August to talk about potentially expanding the League. If things go “according to plan,” 12 teams (instead of 10) will be competing on the biggest stage in Europe come 2023. 

On the one hand, it’s hard not to be hyped for the sheer thought of two more teams joining the fray. Just imagine, say, Karmine Corp or BIG competing with the likes of G2 Esports and Fnatic — exciting stuff, no doubt! There are organizations (those that are mostly competing in the ERLs) who’ve built their vast fanbases through wholly “organic” means, and they would undoubtedly bolster the LEC in all the right ways if given the nod.

More permanent partners, in theory, means a more competitive region. That, by proxy, should result in more entertainment. But that’s nothing but a hypothetical, and it’s probably not a very good one, either.  

One has to wonder: does the LEC need more teams? Is the region packed to the brim with the absolute best players? Is there a hoard of talented up-and-comers knocking on the door? Are the best and worst teams in the LEC separated by the slimmest of margins? The answer to most of these questions is “no.” There is a lot of talent in the ERLs, of that we’re all aware, but there’s more than enough room in the LEC for them to show what they’re capable of. The problem, however, is that they’re seldom given a chance. 

Wouldn’t some sort of a union be more beneficial? That way, for instance, orgs wouldn’t be able to sign a player and then give him the boot just a couple of months later — as was the case with Excel recently. There’s no shortage of talent within the confines of Europe. What is lacking, though, is professionalism. Good coaches are hard to come by, and the same goes for analysts, general managers, assistant coaches, and everyone in between. Most team owners are led by greed rather than passion. And yet, they’ll all spout the same PR hogwash and pretend to care.

Talent means nothing if there’s no guidance and infrastructure. We can’t stress this enough. 

Bringing in two (or however many) more teams into the LEC wouldn’t fix any underlying issues. It might exacerbate them. Doing so would create an air of prosperity, although there would be very little worth celebrating. In hindsight, the removal of relegations hurt competitive League in more ways than one. There are too many bottom-tier organizations that are doing next to nothing to improve and ascend the ranks. They’re in it for the “long haul,” and they don’t mind losing a bit of money because they know they’ll eventually recoup their losses once this whole “thing” goes mainstream.

Moreover, we mustn’t forget that the LEC was, is, and (probably) always will be a top-heavy region. The fact that MAD Lions won Spring shouldn’t blind us from the truth and a metric ton of empirical evidence. They’re an exception rather than the rule. Adding new permanent partners isn’t inherently bad, but it wouldn’t change anything nor improve the region. 

The LEC doesn’t need more. It needs better.