League of Legends publisher Riot Games has announced a new partnership with tournament organiser FACEIT to announce the first League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) Scouting Grounds Circuit.
The Scouting Grounds Circuit will take place on the FACEIT platform with a $60,000 (~£47,000) prize pool up for grabs, and the top two teams moving on to compete in LCS Scouting Grounds in November.
The circuit will be comprised of ten online events, including qualifier, playoff, and final stages. Additionally, several existing amateur leagues will be migrating to the Scouting Ground Circuit and utilizing the FACEIT platform, encouraging amateur tournament organizers to remain involved in the scene. The integrated amateur leagues include the Upsurge Premier League, BIG League, and several others.
The first season of the official qualifying circuit for LCS Scouting Grounds will take part during the months of July, August and September and will see the best amateur teams from the North American League of Legends scene compete in a multi-stage tournament. The two highest ranked teams will qualify for Riot Games’ LCS Scouting Grounds event in November, putting amateur players one step closer to competing in the LCS.
On the partnership, Michele Attisani, Co-Founder & CBO of FACEIT said, “The FACEIT platform is known to be a training ground for serious players of all levels and has successfully developed esports stars in a number of competitive titles. We’re thrilled to be working with Riot Games and to have the opportunity to be a part of the development of one of the most dynamic and exciting competitive scenes right now in North American League of Legends.”
Chris Greeley, LCS Commissioner at Riot Games was also looking forward to what the partnership will bring to the NA scene, “It’s never been more important for us to ensure that we have a robust system in place to facilitate the growth, development, and visibility of the next generation of League of Legends stars. Our partnership with FACEIT to provide the Scouting Grounds Circuit allows top amateur teams the opportunity to qualify for our scouting event through the old ‘5 players and a dream’ model that we used to see through our historic Open Qualifier and Promotion Tournaments.”
The circuit will provide up and coming players with a clear path to going pro and the opportunity to showcase their skills, and LCS teams with the opportunity to sign new talent from their home region.
Esports Insider says: This new announcement is great news for grassroots League of Legends in NA. Partnering with FACEIT should give the ‘path to pro’ journey in the region some much-needed clarity and structure. The integration of already existing amateur leagues is also a great way to not tread on the carefully planted seeds of the NA scene. While the Scouting Grounds isn’t necessarily a guarantee of making it into LCS, having a clear goal for budding players is a great motivator.