LEC scheduled conflict: Riot Games Tries to Serve Two Masters in One House

Beyond these arguments, some community members escalated the discussion by making direct, and often unnecessarily harsh, comparisons between the two games. To certain League of Legends fans, VALORANT is still a nascent title, while their favorite MOBA continues to reign as the world’s most popular PC esport. Moreover, several commentators within the Reddit thread have even asserted that VALORANT‘s viewership statistics indicate a complete stagnation in growth.

Ultimately, this decline has led many to ask one question: Why would Riot allocate so many resources to its success? Highly generalized and uninformed comments have garnered surprising levels of support, revealing a deep-seated bias. These claims include that VALORANT will never surpass Counter-Strike in popularity and that its professional players are merely second-tier rejects from other shooters. Still, supporters of VALORANT were quick to mount a defense, with one fan pointing out that the company has only moved a handful of LEC games to accommodate the VCT schedule during the entire year.

Additionally, to avoid interfering with the LEC’s weekend time slots, the fan highlighted that VCT EMEA matches are deliberately scheduled for Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. They then reminded critics that the conflict was between a regular-season LEC week and the VCT EMEA playoffs and championship qualification matches. Therefore, what genuine argument can properly prove that prioritizing the latter is an unreasonable decision?

Fans Cry Foul Over VALORANT‘s Perceived Priority

Although League of Legends remains the superior esports in terms of pure viewership numbers, VALORANT consistently ranks as the fifth most-watched esports globally, according to data from Esports Charts. Due to VALORANT‘s success, it solidified its position as a major title. For Riot’s overall benefit, the careful balance of both communities is a completely justifiable business approach.

That said, fans who demand consistent and reliable scheduling also have a valid perspective. Keep in mind that Riot Games Arena in Berlin was originally constructed as the LEC studio before being transformed into a centralized hub for multiple titles. This has led the League audience to feel a sense of ownership, as they’re justifiably unhappy about ceding their traditional weekend time slots, even if it is temporary.

Hold On, LEC Fans, Help is Coming… Slowly

Additionally, Riot has invested substantial capital into both competitive scenes. That said, the company constructing separate studios or leasing additional external venues may resolve these persistent conflicts. Despite seemingly being an ideal solution, its financial viability is uncertain. However, according to LEC Commissioner Artem Bykov, fans shouldn’t worry too much. He stated that this scheduling conflict will be addressed by 2026, with the company developing a new structural plan designed to minimize these instances of schedule overlapping with VCT. With that, fans of the LEC are offered hope for a more harmonious future.