Questions remaining after the Korean Reorganization proposal Press Release

This article was originally published on GameSpot's sister site onGamers.com, which was dedicated to esports coverage.

This article was originally posted on the popular Korean website Inven by Kyung-Hyun Kim and Yong-Wook “Noctt” Huh. They have given us permission to translate this post and post it for English speaking audiences and can be considered as a guest post by Inven's Noctt. Translated by Barry “Eidelweiss” Lee.

The reorganization plan for the next season of League of Legends that many fans have been curious about has finally been released. Through their press release, the Korean e-Sports Association (KeSPA) has stated, “Riot Games, KeSPA, and OnGameNet (OGN) will actively collect opinions regarding the reorganization plan over the next week,” and has also said, “We plan on taking time on November 4th during our public announcement to mull over what the direction for development will be.”

The gist of the association’s proposal involves LoL Champions switching to a league format, single 10 man teams, establishment of a reserve league, and the improvement of the treatment of professional players, which included the addition of a minimum salary. There has been an animated debate in the community about the contents of this reorganization plan. Seeing this, we at Inven have organized the questions about the reorganization plan released on the 28th. Furthermore, we hope that there will be expansions to the reorganization plan after receiving active feedback on the coming public announcement on the 4th of November.

The feasibility of a 10 Man roster, is there enough preparation to combat the side effects?

Starting next season, the sister-team system will be abolished. With the introduction of single teams, we will no longer be able to see team-kills. Instead, teams that will compete in LoL Champions will have 10 man rosters. This is currently analyzed as a measure to minimize the unemployment of players due to the change to single teams. However, questions arise of the feasibility of a 10 man roster.

Having 10 players on one team allows for a roster similar to one from the sister-team system. However, the maximum number of players that can compete in LoL Champions is 5, and the remaining 5 must compete in the reserve league. Thus, questions of how often teams will rotate players to the primary league and relatedly, how motivated the ‘reserve’ players in the reserve league will be arise. There is the possibility that a player who was a starter on one team would feel slighted or deprived in being told to compete in not the LoL Champions, but in the reserve league.

Even with that in mind, a rule that stipulates that the roster for a primary league be switched in regularly does not match the spirit of professional sports. In the end, these worries boil down to how effectively the reserve league will be operated. Additionally, one of the reasons why players have left for other reasons is not just due to salary, but also whether or not they can play as a starter. We hope that these questions will be answered at the public announcement on the 4th of November. We think that a good alternative will be a reasonable system regarding player trades and foreign entry.

What are the 7 Teams that will play in the 2015 LoL Champions, and what are the requirements for the qualifiers?

As the LoL Champions switches to a league format, only 8 teams will be competing. Currently, it has been stated that 7 teams have received seeds through past LoL Champions performances. The 7 teams that have received seeds can be determined through looking at cumulative circuit points starting from 2012, which was when the circuit point system was first implemented. Samsung Galaxy, SKT T1, KT Rolster, CJ Entus, Najin e-mFire, Jin Air Greenwings, and Incredible Miracle (IM).

However, there is a part that has not been revealed through the press release. This is the qualifications for the qualifiers. Currently, the format of the qualifiers and the teams qualified to compete have not been released. It is not clear if past NLB performances would be among the qualifications.

For players that are working hard behind the scenes hoping to become a professional gamer and step onto the dream stage of the LoL Champions, the single slot reserved for the Qualifiers winner is a very small door. There is a need for detailed answers at the public announcement on how the qualifiers will proceed and who the teams that can compete in it are.

The newly established reserve league, is there no secondary league?

It has also been released that a reserve league will be established alongside LoL Champions. However, it seems the reserve league is not a secondary under-league. In the press release, it is explained in detail as “The establishment of a reserve league for KeSPA LoL teams.” Thus, the players that will compete in this league are not amateurs, semi-professionals, or club teams, but players affiliated with KeSPA; more specifically, the 5 players that are not part of the starting roster.

More detailed information about the reserve league needs to be revealed at the public announcement. Since the reserve league is not there for promotion to the premiere league, there is a possibility that there will be a lack of motivation among competitors. Additionally, there are many questions as to the measures to ensure the health of the league, details on format, and the main broadcaster.

Let’s look at the foreign LCS regions as a case study. There is a secondary system in place called the Challenger Series that helps support the LCS system in North America and Europe. Through this league, the top teams face the bottom LCS teams in an exciting promotion series and is an opportunity for amateurs to get closer to the professional stage. However, the recent proposal only stipulates a reserve league for KeSPA players, and nothing about a secondary league. We are curious to see if there is any mention of a secondary league in the coming public announcement.

What about the minimum salary?

One of the factors that accelerated the recent diaspora of Korean players is that, “The average salary is low, and it is difficult to find ways to supplement income.” Through their press release, KeSPA has proposed, “Minimum salary standards that are on par with other domestic professional sports” and, “Ensure increase in actual income of KeSPA pro-players who are streaming.” Of the two proposals, community members have more questions about the minimum salary.

It is possible to infer the minimum salary through the statement “Minimum salary standards that are on par with other domestic professional sports.” Starting from 2015, the minimum salary for professional baseball will increase to 27 million Korean won (roughly 27,000 USD), 24 million Korean won (24,000 USD) for professional soccer, 35 million Korean won (35,000 USD) for men’s professional basketball, and 30 million Korean won (30,000 USD) for men’s professional volleyball. The specific number has not been revealed, but considering that esports is not as large as other sports, 20 million Korean won (20,000 USD) seems to be a reasonable guess.

This is the first time in the history of esports that the association has proposed a ‘minimum salary,’ and it seems to be a positive direction for development. We hope that the minimum salary standard that the fans are wondering about will be revealed in coming public announcement on the 4th of November.

Another question is that if Riot Games will offer financial support like they do in the other LCS regions. Inven investigated and was able to learn some details about the minimum salary standards proposed in the recent press release.

Riot Games has revealed, “We give details about the minimum salary, but Riot Games is planning on financially supporting the 8 teams that will be competing in the LoL Champions.” If we suppose that the minimum salary is 20 million Korean won (20,000 USD), then Riot Games will be shouldering the 200 million Korean won (200,000 USD) cost for a 10 player roster. Organizations will be expected to have salary negotiations with the amount Riot Games is giving as a base. If this is true, the average salary of Korean players will increase to a much higher standard than before.