Have you ever wanted to play League Of Legends on a 50-foot screen just like those pro players you idolize so much? Super League Gaming might be exactly what you’re looking for. It’s a new program that’s partnering with Riot Games to bring casual and competitive gaming to movie theaters. Rolling out in Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago and Miami, Super League Gaming plans to bring the excitement of playing on a big stage in front of a roaring crowd to the average player.
There are two ways to play: City Rec, which allows casual players to play together in a physical space, and City Champs, which will be a larger tournament similar to Riot’s own League Championship Series. Players will also get access to a brand new League Of Legends program called “League Unlocked,” which gives players access to all of the game’s 133 champions, over 100 skins unlocked and grants bonus IP and XP.
City Champ players must have a level 30 account and must be at least 16 in order to play in this tournament. The best players will be hand-picked to play on a team representing their city in a massive country-wide tournament. It’s like League’s Challenger Series, but more accessible and with less pressure.
IDigitalTimes asked the CEO of Super League Gaming, Ann Hand, about this new venture with Riot and what plans they have for the future.
Q: What about esports appeals to you?
It is because of the unique intersection between traditional sports and entertainment. So many millennials have only known an interactive world, yet there is so much to gain from the traditional sports experience -- rooting for the hometown team, teamwork, making social connections and more. I think esports are the two crashing together into a perfect mix. It’s exciting!
Q: What differentiates what you are trying to do from other online tournaments?
We at Super League Gaming are on a mission to make esports accessible to the masses. By bringing gamers of all ages together for a social, face-to-face gameplay experience on the big screen, Super League Gaming is establishing theater auditoriums as the ultimate place to play some of the world’s most popular games.
Q: How closely are you working together with Riot?
Very closely. These League of Legends players make up a valuable, precious community that they built. They’re an extremely gamer-centric company and we collaborate with them closely to listen in on how to deliver a premium experience that is truly unique and desired by this player base.
Q: Riot recently got rid of third-party tournament support (no more RP, Triumphant Ryze). Is this a replacement to the system or something else entirely?
We’re unable to speak on behalf of Riot regarding this question. What we can say is we’ve been testing this product together with Riot and their community for several months now and it’s fulfilling a need that players have expressed they are looking for -- healthy competition in a socially engaging environment that emulates the esports arena experience.
Q: Where do you see Super league Gaming in five years?
Our goal is to provide a home for a wide diverse group of gamers -- all levels, all game genres -- that offer a compelling, premium experience that is about community, socializing, competing and leveling up.
Q: What other games do you think would be a good fit for your model?
We’re thrilled about the prospects of this League of Legends partnership as we’re able to bring arena-like esports to thousands of dedicated players. We remain excited about our dedicated, loyal Minecraft player base as well and will continue to nurture and grow that sector of our competitive gaming portfolio. Currently we’re focused on these two titles as we want to ensure we’re doing these right.
Q: When are you coming to New York, so I can lose on a 50-foot screen?
After these four cities launch with the first season of City Champs and City Rec, we’ll be conducting a phased rollout growing to hopefully 20 teams by Q4 2017. We’ll have more to share on which cities are next in the near future. Stay tuned!
