Today’s cartoon is about looking back on how League of Legends and the LCK looked like in 2020.

2020 is a year that most people would hope to erase from memory. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect daily lives, and its effect on the esports industry has been substantial. Not only did this year drastically change things for industry insiders, such as journalists, but also for the esports fans as well, as they missed out an entire year of experiencing esports live. Such circumstances made 2020 feel longer than usual, and needless to say, it was a year that most hope will never repeat ever again. 

League of Legends in 2020 kicked off with its newest champion of 2020, Sett. From Samira’s kit being overpowered to Seraphine with her countless controversies, there was a lot of chatter within communities around the world about the new champion releases. A champion’s kit being overloaded isn’t something too uncommon, but a champion’s nationality causing rift and divide in the community is unheard of. The introduction of Mythic items has breathed some fresh air into the game, and the items already have people saying, “2021/Season 11 will be better”. Also, you can’t forget the release of ‘Wild Rift’, the mobile version of League of Legends. While Riot Games’ other titles has not performed as well as League of Legends, there’s been positive reviews on Wild Rift.

The LCK met with a lot of changes in adaptation to the ongoing pandemic. In early 2020, the league held its matches spectator-less, and even went on a hiatus, due to an increased number of cases in Korea. For the first time in the league’s history, the hiatus within the league gave time to transition into an online format, and due to the cancellation of MSI, the battle between the LCK and the LPL, the Mid-Season Cup, was held. The pandemic continued to ensue on even past the Summer split, and just as everyone was getting exhausted… DAMWON Gaming became World champions, bringing back the Summoner’s Cup back to the LCK in 3 years. It was an achievement that revitalized the LCK fans from the LPL’s dominance, and DWG’s championship victory was something that they’ve been wanting for a long time.

2020 was a chaotic year. As the LCK and esports have always done so, we all strive to find the best answers in the cards we’ve been dealt. This allowed leagues all around the world to not only successfully pull off online matches, but also created unique and enjoyable contents for the optimal and entertaining viewership experience. Some of these achievements were only possible because it was esports, so amidst all the bad things that happened, there’s still some good to be found.

How was your 2020? Undoubtedly, it was a disappointing year for most. However, we’ve weathered through the worst of the storm, so we can only hope for better in 2021. To all those reading this, I wish you the best in 2021. You got this.