League of Legends is a wildly popular game played by millions of people, but only a few have achieved the skill necessary to play at the top level. Like any other game with a competitive scene, the cream of the crop--those you seen competing in esports events like the recent NA LCS--are truly on a different level from the average player. But just how exactly do they reach that point?
In the latest episode of GameSpot Chronicle, which you can watch above, we explore this very question. Can anyone reach the ranks of the very best players in a game like League, or are there other considerations--be they physical or mental--that play a key role? We spoke with psychologists, athletes, and pro players to find out what goes into competing at the highest level.
"I believe that excellence is not an accident," says Rick Fox, the former NBA player (who won multiple championships with the LA Lakers) and current owner of esports team Echo Fox. "You don't become a champion, you don't become the best in your field by coasting through and putting in some hours, by watching some film, by practicing a little more than others. No, you have to be really attentive to the details, the little things."
Check out the full video above, and be sure to also watch the previous episode, which centered around Aphromoo. His team, 100 Thieves, just recently competed in the NA LCS Summer Finals, and despite losing to TSM, qualified for the 2018 Worlds Championship in their first year as a team. Coming in first place was Team Liquid, beating out Cloud9 3-0.
