Updated on November 18, 10:20 p.m. (GMT+8): Improved relevancy.
Worlds 2023 is coming to an end. A winner will be crowned, offseason roster moves intensify, and before you know it, League of Legends season 14 will begin, which paves the way for Worlds 2024.
Worlds 2023 is a special one because it’s the first time in history that Riot Games made changes to its format. Instead of Groups, it’s been replaced with a Swiss format.
The format played a part in setting up matchups, creating narratives that give fans many reasons to tune in. Naz Aletaha, Riot’s Global Head of League of Legends Esports, shared during Media Day they’ve seen a 65% increase in viewership year on year.
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While the format has been delivering on many fronts, there’s a few tweaks that Riot Games is already thinking about for next year.
Worlds Swiss stage: successes and possible changes for 2024
Naz Aletaha stated that the Swiss stage has been successful, offering more balanced matches and adding excitement for fans.
This format differs from the previous group stages, which involved random draws of teams into group. The only rule was that teams in the same region were not allowed to be in the same group.
The randomness often led to stronger teams being grouped together, hindering some of the best teams from advancing to the knockout stages.
The Swiss stage, on the other hand, allowed for fairer matches, as teams face off against opponents with the same win-loss score.
This format enabled teams capable of beating a wide range of opponents to face against each other and advance, while other teams gradually dropped out.
However, the Swiss stage couldn’t completely avoid the element of randomness. After each round, draws were conducted to determine team matchups. Unfortunately, teams from the same region ended up facing each other, much to fans’ disappointment.
Riot took notice, and one of the changes being considered for 2024 is finding a way to avoid interregional matches, especially beyond round one. They are also considering the possibility of avoiding rematches.
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The executive team further discussed broadening the fan experience. In 2023, Riot introduced the Worlds Unlocked package, which includes a combination of physical goodies and enhanced experiences.
These includes exclusive access to online events such as Media Day, which was originally exclusive to media and influencers.
According to John Needham the package has been widely successful, especially in North America and Europe. Riot aims to extend other experiences to Worlds 2024.
Other avenues for revenue creation for League of Legends teams are being considered. Currently, all teams are guaranteed 50% of the revenue for more stability and earn a percentage of esports content and prize pools from international tournaments. There are plans to expand this revenue-sharing program throughout the regular season.
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