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Table of Contents
Riot Pls: 2017 and Beyond
A new Riot Pls video has been released, covering what happened in 2017 and whats coming for 2018, including the announcement of the new Clash system:"How does the League Dev Team feel about 2017? Lead Producer New001 looks back on the highs and lows of the year, and gets into the details of the new competitive mode - Clash.
Learn more about the upcoming competitive mode, Clash: https://nexus.leagueoflegends.com/en-us/2017/12/dev-clash/
Timestamps:
League of Legends Editorial Blog: http://nexus.leagueoflegends.com/"
/Dev: Clash
If you’re in EUW, EUNE or TR, you can help us test Clash right now! Check euw.leagueoflegends.com or eune.leagueoflegends.com for signup details.
We just announced Clash, a new team-based competitive mode coming to League in 2018. In this blog, we’d like to go into a little more depth on how we think about premade competition in League, and a sneak peek at some of the new features included in the mode.
MAKING FIVES FUN
When we were first began talking about an in-client tournament feature, we thought about what we wanted to do differently from the now-retired Ranked Teams queue, which was essentially just Solo/Duo queue but for larger premades. We saw that players struggled to manage their team effectively and it felt like a chore to get four friends together who would commit to grinding all year to get to Diamond. This, coupled with increasing queue times and poor quality matches, made for a pretty crappy experience. Considering how fun League can be when playing in a group of friends, the Ranked Teams queue ultimately felt like a missed opportunity.
We looked to esports, grassroots tournament play, and our own Riot Rumble, asking ourselves if we could bring the same feels to League players in-client. Could we build something high-stakes and team-based that was competitive for all players, regardless of skill level? Could we make it an intense sprint—in contrast to the marathon of Ranked? And how could we make winning teams feel like legendary champions?
ALONG CAME CLASH
So we’re developing Clash, a team-based competitive mode that’ll run a couple of times each month. You’ll assemble your team during the week, and on the weekend you’ll compete in a series of single-elimination brackets against teams of your skill level. Each day’s brackets get more competitive as you face off against the other winners from across the server, and the further your team gets, the greater your rewards. You can choose to play in any of the brackets over three days, but only teams that sign up on Friday and continue winning all the way to Sunday have a shot at taking home the biggest prizes.
Those are the basics—but Clash will also feature new tools and systems that we think will bring the feeling of a professional, high-stakes tournament to your matches.
WHAT’S IN A FEATURE?
As we developed, we focused on three key things we thought a mode like Clash should accomplish:
Let’s break down the features we built into Clash to deliver on those three key goals.
- Provide teams with thrilling and intense competition at their skill level
- Feel like the ultimate way to play League as a five-person premade
- Deliver real rewards and ways to show them off for years to come
THRILLING AND INTENSE COMPETITION
Competition is only thrilling when the stakes are high, and it’s only intense if teams are evenly matched, so each Clash tournament will feature adaptive tier-based matchmaking. In the current design, each weekend’s tournament is split into four matchmaking tiers; you’ll always face teams that are close to your skill level. Because you can create a team with anyone, the system takes a top-weighted calculation of the entire team’s ranked data (plus their previous Clash match histories). This means that you can form a team of four bronzies and a diamond jungler, but you’re probably going to be pulled up into the big leagues.
We’re also implementing a “buy-in” for tournaments via Tickets. Tickets are unique to Clash and obtainable with Blue Essence, Riot Points, or earnable in other ways (like regular repeating missions). Each team member must enter at least one Ticket to participate in a Clash tournament, but adding more will multiply your rewards for winning.
With Tickets on the line, you can count on commitment from your teammates to see the tournament all the way through, a decrease in the amount of teams that bail midway, and real stakes on the line to play for. A buy-in with Tickets also allows us to give better rewards without totally breaking our in-game economy.
One more thing: We know smurfing can be a big concern for a competitive mode like this, so we’ve got some new systems in the works to counter them. We’ll talk more about those in early 2018.
THE ULTIMATE TEAM EXPERIENCE
Individually, great players can be mechanical masterminds, hypercarry heroes, or shotcalling superstars—but when it comes to Clash, we wanted to develop a mode that rewards hardcore team players with the most compelling way to play League as five.
Before each tournament, you’ll sign up your team, lock in a short time before the games begin, and enter into a scouting phase. The scouting phase shows your opponents’ most played and most successful champs, as well as those that they’ve recently played in Clash. Teams have the chance to get first blood in the draft phase, strategically picking compositions that can give them the edge in the game.
On top of this, champ select features the same split draft we use in pro play: each team bans three champs, then picks three. In the second phase, they’ll ban two, and pick two. We talked about the reasons why this works in a team mode like Clash and doesn’t in a standard ranked queue, and we’re super happy to finally bring this layer of strategy to regular play! With your team all on the same page, you can make decisions and necessary sacrifices in champ select that everyone can get on board with.
NEW REWARDS AND RECOGNITION
Where would a tournament be without cool prizes? In addition to things like skin shards and essence, we’re introducing new reward types unique to Clash that you’ll be able to show off in ways we’ve never done before in League. We’re keeping those under wraps for now (except the nifty new team logos above), but can promise there will be different tiers of rewards based on winning overall brackets, winning individual matches, and even just showing up to play. Our goal is that you’ll always walk away with something good no matter how well your team performs—but the prizes will get better and better alongside your team’s performance.
COMING SOON TO A CLIENT NEAR YOU
We’ll be back in 2018 with more info as we get closer to launching Clash globally, but before then we’re running a couple of beta tests in EUW, EUNE and TR. If you’re in one of those regions, we want to know what you think of the mode so far!
Check your playtest announcement [EUW/EUNE] for more information."
Clash Beta launches in Europe
"On December 12, team creation opens in-client (check the new Competitive tab!) to test League’s new competitive mode for premade teams - Clash. We’re going to run this technical beta in Europe over the next few days, and we need your feedback.
Here’s the schedule:
To learn more about the features and philosophy of Clash, head on over to Nexus. You can find the most important stuff to know about the beta test right here, and a full FAQ about how a Clash tournament actually works below.
See you on the Rift!
Important stuff
- This is a technical beta. Clash is still being developed, but we want your feedback early. Beta testers will be able to give us opinions while they play, and afterwards you’ll receive a survey to give us even more feedback.
- We’ve set up a special Discord server. You can give feedback, report bugs, and find teams. Come hang out with us here: https://discord.gg/league-clash-beta
- You need to lock in up to 30 minutes before matches begin each day. We’re calling this out specifically because if even one of your teammates misses it, you won’t get to play. Get situated and ready to play early!
- Each tournament is matchmade by tier. Skill level is factored in and balanced so that no matter your rank, you’ve got a shot at victory.
- If you win both matches on Friday, you’ll go through to Saturday’s games. Clash is a multi-day tournament - keep on winning, and you’ll get a chance at the best rewards on Sunday.
- Losing is not the end of your tournament run. If you lose out on Friday (or just can’t play) you can enter into a fresh new bracket on Saturday OR Sunday.
- Each day has a consolation bracket for the losers of the first match. Yeah, you lost your first match. But it’s not all bad - you can keep playing for more prizes even if you didn’t make it through to the next day. Basically, everyone gets to play two games no matter what!
- There’s a new Ticket system we’re testing. You’ll need one to enter, but entering more tickets = more prizes. You can also enter for your friends! Check out the Nexus articlefor more on why we’re using Tickets, and the FAQ below for more on how Tickets and prizing work. You can get Tickets to enter by:
- Winning 2 games of Ranked Flex (it’ll be a mission in your tracker)
- Purchasing them for 1950 BE (discounted price for the Beta test)
- Purchasing them for 275 RP
- You will need a valid SMS phone number. We’re testing a system in Turkey to try and maintain competitive integrity in Clash, so you will need to input a phone number when first registering or trying to join a team.
Entry Requirements
What are the requirements to play in a Clash tournament?
- You’re level 30+
- You’ve completed ranked placement matches for at least one ranked queue
- You’re at least Honor level 2
Schedule and Structure
Registration begins on December 12, 2017 for EU & TR players. Teams can continue to be assembled until games begin on each day.
When do I have to show up to each tournament?
Everyone on your team must show up during the 30-minute Lock-in Phase before the first match starts. If your team doesn’t have enough players locked in by the start time above, your tickets will be returned to you and you won’t enter into the brackets - so lock in early!
How is a Clash tournament structured?
A Clash tournament is a series of single-elimination brackets over three days.
You’ll fight against teams of your skill level. If your team wins, you’ll advance to the next, bigger bracket, increase your reward pool, and remain in the running for the best prizes awarded to undefeated teams at the end of the tournament.
There is a consolation bracket for teams that lose in the first round of each day, and those teams can continue playing for more rewards, but won’t qualify for the next day’s play.
If your team is eliminated, you’ll receive your rewards and drop out of the main tournament, but you can re-enter the next day to play in a new bracket with its own rewards. New teams that didn’t play on the previous day can join in a new bracket as well.
Note: In rare occasions, there will be bye rounds (automatic advancement when playing with an odd number of teams). You don’t need to do anything in this case - just enjoy the free win!
Why three days?
Clash aims to strike a balance between an epic event that happens for a limited time and a regular, ongoing competition. Three days allows you the opportunity to jump in when you have the time, but also make playing all three days worth it.
Do I have to play all three days?
Nope. Teams can participate in one, two, or three days of the tournament. If you want a chance at the best rewards, you’ve gotta play all three days and win a full 16-team bracket (a total of six to nine matches).
Note: Once your team locks in for the first time, you will play any subsequent days with the same team - no swapping out members (unless they’re substitutes). Any no-shows from those teammates will result in automatic elimination.
Team Creation
Can I switch out my team during the weekend?
When you’re locked in, you will be with that team for the rest of the weekend, win or lose. For emergency situations, you can substitute players if they are in or below your Skill Tier.
How does substituting players work?
When you lock in a team for the first match of each bracket, you’ve confirmed the roster of players competing for that tournament. However, if one of those players becomes unavailable for the next bracket, you can substitute them out.
You can only sub out one player at a time, and only once per bracket, and then that sub must play all the matches in that bracket. They also have to be within (or below) your team’s Skill Tier.
How do I unlock the team logo chromas?
The more people on your team that own the same logo, the more chromas you’ll have to choose from as a team captain. The full functionality for this won’t be in this beta test, but we wanted to give you a quick preview of what’s to come, and you’ll keep any logos you earn through the weekend.
Rewards
How do I get rewards?
Everyone who participates will earn Clash Capsules whether they win or lose. These are individual, so your teammates may receive different things in their Capsules. Capsules scale according to your team’s performance and the number of Capsules is equivalent to the Tickets you’ve entered. In each capsule, you are guaranteed:
- A 3-win XP boost
- A new Clash team logo
- Standard loot items (champ shards, champion skin shards, ward skin shards) which get better as your team progresses through brackets
Each of these are multiplied by the amount of tickets you enter.
Each win earns you 200 Victory Points (VP) with bonus VP on the first match win for higher Skill Tiers. At the end of each day’s bracket, you’ll be awarded prizes based on your total VP for the weekend.
All VP earned during the beta test will be removed after the tournament has concluded.
When do I get my rewards?
If you lose your bracket, your Capsule and any prizes are immediately awarded. If you win your bracket, your Capsule is upgraded and carried over to the next day. If your team goes undefeated all three days and wins the tournament, your supremely-upgraded Clash Capsule awards the best possible prizes.
I won a bracket! What do I get?
During the Clash Beta this weekend, all players who win a 4, 8, or 16-team bracket will earn an exclusive summoner icon.
How do tickets affect rewards?
The number of tickets you enter directly increases the number of Capsules you earn, regardless of your performance.
In short: the more tickets you enter, the more capsules you’ll earn, and the more matches you win, the better the rewards in your capsules. This is an individual entry, so your prizes will scale based on your Ticket input, not your team’s.
How many tickets can I get?
Winning two games of Ranked Flex will net you a Ticket for entry into Clash, but if you’re looking for even higher stakes, you can purchase them for Blue Essence or RP.
During the beta, you’ll be able to grab Tickets via the Box of Tickets in the store. You only need one to enter, but you’ll be able to buy a maximum of five per day. You can only use up to five Tickets for each entry.
Skill Tiers
What are the Skill Tiers? How did I get placed?
TIER IV < TIER III < TIER II < TIER I
Because Clash allows players to form teams with a wider range of skill than Ranked, matchmaking works a little differently:
Every player has a hidden Clash MMR, which is based off your Ranked play and some back-end secret sauce. Teams are placed in a Matchmaking Tier based on that MMR, and your tournament bracket will only have other teams from your Matchmaking Tier.
Can I invite any person onto my team?
Yup, providing they meet the entry criteria above! Remember that the wider the skill gap between teammates, the more matchmaking will have to compensate (read: lower-skilled players will be in for a challenge).
Why did my Tier change before my team finished locking in?
As players are added to your team, Clash reassesses your Skill Tier to ensure you are put into a competitive bracket.
More questions?
Swing by the Discord channel: https://discord.gg/league-clash-beta"
Reminders
To round out this red post collection, here are a few reminders on current promotions or limited time events!
- Just in time for Snowdown, the Riot Games Merch store has been updated with a variety of new items including a preorder for an XL BRAUM unlocked statue, new shirts and plush, a free holiday ornament with purchase, and more!
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