LoL Fans Show Their Progressiveness Despite The Vega/ROX Controversy

League of Legends has been fraught with drama ever since its inception, and even nearly 10 years after its release, controversy continues to rumble on. Late February saw big name teams Vega and ROX warned for breaching discrimination laws enshrined in the LoL rulebook. Fans around the world, but particularly on Reddit, found the warning grounds to be overly harsh and railed against the decision. This, in turn, led to accusations of sexism from other areas of the fandom. However, this event is certainly not indicative of the wider player base, newbies and established high tier players included.

Indications of progressiveness

Despite the negative reaction from some members of the fan base, indications are that League players continue to favor progress in a typically male-dominated sport. In 2018, Riot Games – the creator of LoL – came to the attention of national press when it became embroiled in a gender discrimination lawsuit. Many sections of the fan base were openly supportive of the case, in direct contrast to actions taken by those involved in the #GamerGate debacle. If user base is anything to go by, the action taken against Riot has been well received and not deterred players. The amount of new LoL players getting involved has increased to over 119m, and shows no sign of stopping.

Working for charity

Outside of the ongoing gender discrimination controversy, the LoL fan base has generated a good reputation for altruistic acts and being positive. This is despite the loud shouting of the minority such as those present in the Vega controversy. Charity is one area in which this aspect of the fan base is expressed; in July of last year, fans raised $6.1m through purchasing a skin that was created by a player who had been diagnosed with cancer. In 2017, $2m was raised throughout the world championship by similar means. League players have long shown their generosity for charitable causes and this will continue to be a major factor in the makeup of the fan base.

An increased role for the fans?

Online games have emerged from the shadows to become some of the most popular and powerful media forms. Games like LoL, DotA 2 and Fortnite are having a huge impact on consumer markets and, as marketing magazine The Drum have noted. Huge amounts of marketing money are being ploughed into these games. Simultaneously, social justice continues to become more and more of a factor, and this will inevitably intersect with LoL marketing efforts. The fan base, as a generally progressive one, are in a good place to be the representatives, not least through streaming platforms. Expect to see more league players on streams promoting progressive causes or, alternatively, having a squeaky-clean persona.

Recent scandals in the League of Legends scene have brought to the fore some ugly opinions from isolated sections of the fanbase. However, evidence has shown, time and time again, that this isn’t the case for the majority of League players. As the game becomes more and more famous, and businesses look to it to make money for them, that progressive leaning of the fanbase will become more and more pronounced.