Those who play together, stay together: A look at the LoL community’s fan driven LCS

Whenever the off-season begins, community spaces tend to experience a slowing down in activity. The usual hustle and bustle wears thin as fans of the various NA LCS teams wait for the next season to start. Less people are posting and less people are chatting. During these slow times, the various communities have always seemed to need something to reinvigorate their fan spirit. Enter the Discord Community Championship Series (or DCCS for short).

Curing off-season blues

What if there was a tournament held between the fan communities of the NA LCS? An LCS for the average fan, if you will. Through this idea, the DCCS was born. The tournament was created with two goals in mind. The first goal was to allow fans of the various NA LCS teams to represent their community and deliver an LCS-like experience. The second was to drum up some much needed excitement during the slow period between the spring and summer seasons. This is exactly what event organizer and Echo Fox Discord moderator Adriaan “GeneralPancake” Schotte had in mind, stating, “We noticed that during the off-season the Discord died down a bit since there was nothing to talk about without LCS going on. We wanted to somehow give the fans something to get hyped for, so firewolf and I (another Echo Fox Discord moderator) decided to set this thing into action.”

Courtesy of the DCCS

Coming together

While there were some expected bumps in the planning stage, the event seems to be on track to becoming a hit with fans. The event has all the features of what one would expect to see from an NA LCS broadcast. It features casters, graphics, and an official Twitch stream. The teams held tryouts, selected coaches, and practice for their weekend of matches. What makes this all so special is that it is all run and organized by the fans, for the fans. Through this tournament, fans are able to come together and experience a much higher level of involvement within their respective communities. By being able to participate in an LCS of their own, fans are able to grow closer together through some friendly competition.

It remains to be seen whether the Discord Community Championship Series will be an annual off-season tournament or a one-time event. Adriaan, however, is optimistic regarding the DCCS’ future. Though it has only finished its first week, the DCCS has shown a peak of 200 viewers and seems to be stirring some fans from their off-season hibernation. While this is certainly not NA LCS level viewership, it is certainly a step in the right direction toward a closer and more enthusiastic community.

You can follow me on Twitter here: @masonjenkinstgh Also be sure to follow The Game Haus on Twitter and Facebook so you can get more and esports action. Also, be sure to follow the DCCS on Twitter and Twitch. 

Featured Image and images courtesy of the Discord Community Championship Series.