Riot claims there is “no reason” in particular female pro LoL teams haven’t taken off, and predicts they will do so in the future.
In a press conference ahead of the League of Legends World Championship Grand Final, Riot Games eSports manager Dustin Beck answered some questions from the press regarding the future of the game. Somewhat unsurprisingly, considering all of that controversy surrounding women in video games as of late, along with the fact that every single player in the League of Legends World Championships was male, the question of female pros was brought up a couple of times.
The good news is that Riot absolutely sees a future for women in the game’s professional circuit, and says that its just a matter of time before it happens. “We think it’s inevitable women teams will become part of the LCS in the future,” Beck said, adding “we think it’s just a matter of time before there are either all female teams or very successful female pros in the League of Legends teams.”
He noted that there are plenty of female streamers that are incredibly popular, and that Korea’s OGN recently announced that it would be launching a “girls-only” LoL tournament.
Beck, along with his co-Rioters, did not offer any insight as to why female pro players aren’t already a thing, and why it’s taking them so long to find their place in the spotlight. They said there was “no reason” it hasn’t happened yet, and expect it to happen soon.
In the same conference, Beck stated that Riot wanted to do a better job of supporting all of its current pro players. He admitted that retirements were inevitable, and came at a much younger age than many other professional sports, so Riot wants to provide viable paths for these players, in the form of coaches, casters, and analysis.
Lastly, Beck ended with a rather bold prediction – a belief that in our lifetimes, some form of eSports will become a part of the Olympic games.
Travel accommodations to South Korea for the World Championship Grand Final were paid for by Riot Games.
