DreamHack to Operate UKLC Spring Split Alongside Nordic Championship
In November, the Head of Publishing Nordics at Riot Games stated that LVP UK would no longer run the UK League Championship (UKLC) for League of Legends. DreamHack will now take care of the UKLC and Nordic Championship. The statement about LVP UK was seen in a Twitlonger:
“Right now, we’re discussing our options for the UKLC in 2020, and while we totally understand people’s desire to speculate and interpret, any speculation on what we will do is genuinely premature. We are keeping teams up to date, and we’ll make sure to let fans know what’s happening when the time is right.”
Out With the Old, In With the New
Liga de Videojuegos Profesional (LVP) is the largest esports organizer in the Spanish-speaking world. However, it’s time for a shakeup. The Head of Publishing Nordics Mo Fadl announced this.
DreamHack, the Swedish production company, will run the Nordic Championship and expand into the UKLC for League of Legends. DreamHack is known for its top-quality production and esports organization. Games will be played online for the tournament series and the finals will take place at the DreamHack Studio in Stockholm.
Marcus Lindmark, president and CEO of DreamHack, seems excited about the reveal: “DreamHack and Riot Games have been partners for many years, and we are avid fans of League of Legends. We are very excited to continue to support League of Legends through the Nordic Championship, as well as expanding to running the UKLC in spring. For the Summer Split and beyond our ambitions are even bigger and we are excited to share more details in 2020.”
I love attending DreamHack shows. I can’t say I can pick up and go to Stockholm, but that’s quite alright with me. DreamHack has plenty of expertise in working with League of Legends content, so adding the UKLC to their portfolio should be easy.
Fadl echoed Lindmark’s statement: “We’re really happy to be expanding our work with DreamHack. We’ve been working hard with their talented team to level up the regional league for League of Legends in the Nordics in time for the Spring Split. We’ll also be drawing on DreamHack’s expertise to operate the UKLC over the course of the Spring Split. UKLC is a longer-term project and we’re looking to roll out the new-look ecosystem for the Summer Split.”
DreamHack Presence in the UK
ESL UK is looking a little bleak right now, with ESL’s present restructure going on. Between that, and LVP withdrawing, this was the perfect marriage of experience and talent. There are other announcements to come in Q1 2020, as we get closer to the Spring Split. However, we can’t speculate what that might be.
I also have no idea what this “new-look ecosystem” might mean. It could mean better treatment and money for players, or a new visual UI for the streaming of matches. We’ll have to keep our eyes on this. But what will the Spring 2020 Split entail?
The Nordic Championship and UKLC will both feature eight teams and a double best-of-one round-robin format. It will take place across seven weeks in February and March, followed by the Semifinals and Grand Final.
While the Nordic Championships will have open qualifiers, only two of the eight UKLC teams were revealed. The confirmed LEC teams Excel UK and Fnatic Rising are serious names in the European scene as well as the league.
I don’t know how the UK audience is going to take this. From what I hear, the UK League numbers are falling. I don’t know if this will be enough to drag those viewers back. Thankfully, DreamHack has decent name value in Europe.
With the Grand Final in Stockholm, UK viewers might not want to make that kind of travel for League of Legends. Many hardcore fans will but not as many as you might think. It’s a step in the right direction, but having the matches being in Stockholm could hurt.
Could we see DreamHack taking a greater interest in UK esports? I’m not suggesting they build a base in the United Kingdom, mind. But if they’re going to take a deep interest in the UK scene, it couldn’t hurt to hold a UK event.
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