Riot Games

LCS Launches 2023 Game Changers Project

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The LCS, the top League of Legends league in North America, opened applications for its Game Changers project on June 29. The project is aimed at helping women and individuals of marginalized genders gain experience in the competitive aspect of the male-dominated world of esports.

Riot Games, the developers behind League of Legends, has previously found success with the Game Changers model within their other major esports title, VALORANT. Meanwhile, Europe has started to foster a growing scene for women and marginalized genders in League of Legends. Elsewhere, Japan’s LJL recently saw the debut of the first woman to play in the league.

Read More: Meet Noah, Fnatic’s rookie superstar

2023 Game Changers Brings Expanded Opportunities

Per Riot Games, Game Changers 2023 is bigger and better than ever before. Successful applicants will join three teams comprised of 5 players, one coach, and one manager. The inclusion of coaching and team manager positions allow for a wider range of positions for applicants to explore. Game Changers 2023 sees Riot Games and the LCS working with esports consultancy firm, SIDO. The two-month project will culminate in a live four-day event in Los Angeles in September. “The chosen participants will self-organize into teams of one coach, one manager, and three players. Together, they will run tryouts to fill out their roster, allowing them to experience the process and build a full team that they believe best suits their goals. At the end of the program, each team will take the stage in Los Angeles for the first-ever broadcasted LCS Game Changers Final at the end of the program.”

Applicants must be at least 18 years old and identify as a woman or another marginalized gender. Furthermore, applicants must be a resident of the United States or Canada and have a valid driver’s license or passport, allowing them to travel. Applications close on July 4 for coaches and managers, and July 8 for players. It represents a major step forwards for the LCS in helping promote those who may otherwise struggle to break through in esports. Good luck to all those who apply. Furthermore, follow for all the latest esports news here at HotNewHipHop.

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LCSPA Ends Strike, LCS Summer Split Begins June 14

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Players in the LCS, North America’s professional League of Legends league, went on strike on May 28. The LCSPA, the union that represents the league’s players, called the strike over changes to the second tier of the region’s esports scene. In a statement released May 30, Global Head of League of Legends Esports Naz Aletaha announced that Riot had chosen to delay the start of the LCS Summer split by two weeks. “We ultimately decided that it would not hold true to our values that Riot’s esports offers our players and fans a showcase for the best competitive League of Legends. Nothing but putting the best players in North America on the stage at Riot Games Arena is acceptable. So we informed LCSPA leadership today that we will delay the LCS season for the next two weeks.”

The delay came as a result of Riot Games and the 10 LCS organizations being unable to source high-quality replacement players. Despite removing many of the requirements for LCS eligibility, much of the amateur and semi-pro scene stood with the players. Riot threatened to cancel it entirely if a deal could not be reached with the union. Canceling the split would have prevented North American teams from participating in the 2023 World Championships. The end of the two-week delay, June 15, was set as a hard deadline for negotiations.

Riot Games And LCSPA Reach Agreement

In a statement released June 9, the LCS announced that a deal had been reached with the Players’ Association. “Following a two-week delay, the LCS will move forward with a reformatted Summer Split regular season that will take place over 6 weeks starting on June 14. LCS matches this Summer will now be played on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays,” the statement began. Furthermore, the post outlined the changes to the NACL that would be implemented as a result of the agreement. These changes were headlined by reformatting, better governance, mandatory minimums for severance notification, and healthcare for international players. However, LCS organizations will still not be required to carry an academy team or participate in the NACL.

The LCSPA also released a statement, saying the agreement “proves the importance of giving players a seat at the table.” However, the LCSPA vowed to keep fighting. “The concessions [below] do not restore the NACL fully, nor do they provide restoration for the players who lost jobs suddenly and incurred financial hardship, lost visas, or broken leases. The LCSPA is committed to continuing our pursuit of any and all potential paths toward making these players more whole.” Away from these promises, the league is now set to return on June 9, beginning a compact, three-a-week play schedule. Follow all the biggest stories in esports here at HotNewHipHop

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Riot Games Delays LCS Season Amid Player Strike

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Last week, the LCSPA, which represents professional League of Legends players in North America, called for a strike vote. The decision came as a result of Riot Games gutting the second tier of professional League of Legends in the region, leading to the loss of over 70 jobs.

The strike authorization vote overwhelmingly passed on May 28, meaning that the league’s 50 presumptive starters would not be taking the stage for the start of the Summer Split on June 1. However, Riot did not immediately cancel or delay the split. Instead, the billion-dollar game studio scrapped a few key regulations in order to make it easier for teams to sign replacement rosters. The LCSPA hit back, urging any players receiving offers from LCS teams to stand in solidarity with the union. Furthermore, a number of influential figures in the amateur and semi-pro scenes indicated that they would be taking note of any players who crossed the picket.

Season Delayed But Riot Holding Firm

In a statement released May 30, Global Head of League of Legends Esports Naz Aletaha announced that Riot had chosen to delay the start of the LCS Summer split by two weeks. “We ultimately decided that it would not hold true to our values that Riot’s esports offers our players and fans a showcase for the best competitive League of Legends. Nothing but putting the best players in North America on the stage at Riot Games Arena is acceptable. So we informed LCSPA leadership today that we will delay the LCS season for the next two weeks.”

However, that’s where the generosity towards the union stopped. Despite saying that Riot wanted to start a “productive dialogue between the LCSPA, teams, and the league,” the statement also included a public rejection of all of the demands set forth by the LCSPA. Furthermore, Riot openly threatened to cancel the entire LCS season, eliminating LCS teams from eligibility at Worlds 2023, if the work stoppage extended beyond two weeks. In short, Riot made it very clear that they were willing to dole out any punishment they saw fit if the union didn’t capitulate and surrender. As a result of these threats, the LCSPA has publicly said they have asked Riot for daily meetings to find an equitable solution. This is a developing story and we’ll have any updates here at HotNewHipHop.

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Lil Nas X Announces His New Song’s Release Date And Is Elected President Of ‘League Of Legends’

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While on his Long Live Montero Tour for his Grammy-nominated debut album Montero, Lil Nas X previewed a new song for audiences called “Star Walkin’.” Little was known about the song or when it’d get an official release, but today, Nas announced its release date — along with a new partnership whose launch is timed to the release.

Nas is pretty well-known for his brand partnerships; in the three years since he became practically a household name, he’s teamed up with Wrangler, Grindr, Taco Bell, and M&Ms. Each time, he’s shown off his flair for the dramatic — for instance, Taco Bell made him Chief Impact Officer, a made-up but significant role expansion from when he first worked for the fast food chain.

His latest pairing will be with Riot Games, the creators of the popular video game League Of Legends. This time, he’ll take on another impressive-sounding role: President of League of Legends, which will involve “creating explosive musical moments, an ingenious League champion skin, and a spectacular live Worlds performance,” according to the press release. He’ll kick off the League Of Legends World Championship with a performance of “Star Walkin’” on September 29 in Mexico City, then debut a new skin he helped design for a new character in the game, K’Sante the Pride of Nazumah (say that five times fast).

This isn’t the first time Riot has collaborated with rappers. Like competitors/colleagues Epic Games (creators of Fortnite), they’ve incorporated hip-hop organically into their game’s world through creations like in-game band True Damage, made up of real performers, and recruiting JID to work with Imagine Dragons on the theme song for the League Netflix spin-off show Arcane. They even previously worked with Lil Nas X to create a hype video for one of the competing teams in last year’s Worlds.

Nas And Google Invest $20 Million Into A South African Video Game Publisher

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Nas never really struck me as a gamer, but he has been a shrewd investor over the past couple of decades, so his investment in South African mobile game publisher Carry1st actually makes perfect sense. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Nas joined venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, Google, and League Of Legends developer Riot Games in raising $20 million of financing for Carry1st, which is known for publishing Tilting Point’s SpongeBob: Krusty Cook-Off. Carry1st is based in Cape Town and looking to expand on its 96 percent monthly revenue growth, moving into games development and pro gaming.

Cordel Robbin-Coker, co-founder and CEO of Carry1st, said in a statement, “We’re excited to partner with this world-class group of investors who, in addition to capital, bring expertise across gaming, fintech, and web3. In 2021, we launched multiple games and digital commerce solutions achieving really strong growth. Together we can accelerate this growth and achieve our goal of becoming the leading consumer internet company in the region.”

Nas’ other recent investments include involvement in cryptocurrency and NFTs, which he’s used to split streaming rights to two of his recent songs with fans, and Audius, an artist-driven streaming platform. Of course, he’s also got his label and media company, Mass Appeal, which has released projects from Nas himself, Boldy James, Dave East, Run The Jewels, and more. If his latest bet pays off, he’ll have a toehold in a whole new arena (shooter, boom), becoming a legend in the rap game and video game worlds.

JID Joins Imagine Dragons On An Epic Quest In The ‘Enemy’ Video From Riot Games’ Netflix Series, ‘Arcane’

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Imagine Dragons and JID are two names most music fans would never have “imagined” together, but thanks to Riot Games and the upcoming, League Of Legends-inspired animated Netflix series, Arcane, you won’t have to use your imagination — just click play on the video above. Made up of clips from the series itself, which follows the origins of several of the game’s characters, the video previews some of the exciting scenes fans can look forward to when the show hits Netflix on November 6. The video also features an animated JID rapping his lightspeed verse.

“Enemy” isn’t the first time Riot Games collaborated with musicians. In 2019, they partnered with a group of real-life stars to conceive True Damage, a virtual band in the game itself consisting of Becky G, Keke Palmer, Soyeon of (G)I-dle, Duckwrth, and Thutmose. While it’s a slightly different concept from what “Enemy” is doing — essentially, it’s a soundtrack song, which is definitely something we’ve seen before — the new track broadens Riot’s relationship with popular music and opens some exciting doors for the future.

Meanwhile, Arcane looks like an exciting show itself, deepening the League Of Legends story while leaving plenty of room for new or casual fans to get invested in its sci-fi/fantasy tale. You can watch the trailer below.