LCS Studio Becomes Riot Games Arena. LCS Studio is a set of regulations for how the League of Legends Championship Series should operate and any studio that meets their standards can host matches.
Looking at the schedules for North and European American Riot esports, it does look like the LCS operates at the worst times in terms of potential viewership. The LEC starts at 6pm for Central European Time and runs Saturday through Monday, while VCT EMEA performs at the same time Wednesday through Friday. Of the 4 leagues for NA/EMEA League and VALORANT, the LCS is the only one that runs only on weekdays around the middle of the day for its respective area.
Move over LCS, you’re getting a new rookie beginning next year. For 2023, Riot Games wishes to push professional League of Legends and VALORANT as its flagship esports programs, and in North America, that suggests the two will have to get along in a shared space.
The LEC gets to keep its own studio in Berlin while a new one for VCT EMEA is constructed throughout town, but LCS now has to share a home. Leasing or owning an area in Los Angeles isn’t inexpensive, and it sounds like the previous LCS Arena is getting a quite substantial visual overhaul at least.
Starting in 2023, the LCS and the VCT Americas League will share a phase at the renamed Riot Games Arena (previously understood as the LCS Arena).
The new schedule itself for both esports has actually drawn considerable attention, with the VCT Americas League getting an afternoon/early night broadcast window of Saturday through Monday, while LCS moves to Thursdays and Fridays (and often Wednesdays). The LCS relocation has actually raised some concerns in the NA League neighborhood, with folks like LCS caster Azazel expressing their worries about what the altered schedule will do to viewership.
The LCS will get the area to themselves for the 2023 Spring Split, however, considering that the VCT kickoff occasion in São Paulo, Brazil will run in place of the conventional very first split for this inaugural season.