increase total teams in each IL to 16 (10 partnered 6 ascended)
run a tournament twice a year (after stage 1 and stage 2) to cycle tier 2 teams up and down - none or all 6 can be replaced
The yearly schedule could look something like this:
champions points will be gained for regular season match wins and high playoff placements both regionally and internationally
Kickoff
- large double elimination bracket
- top 3 teams qualify (make it to lower final or better)
Masters 1
- 12 total teams from 4 ILs
- double elimination, 1st seeds get placed directly into round 2
Stage 1
- 2 groups of 8, every team plays each other in their group.
- top 4 qualify for playoffs from each group
- playoffs is a 8 team double elimination bracket, top 4 qualify for masters 2 (make it to at least lower semifinal)
Masters 2
- 16 total teams from 4 ILs
- group stage with 4 groups of 4, teams play all others in group
- top 2 advance to playoffs
Ascension 1
- 6 ascended teams face off against 6 challengers teams
- the teams are sorted into 3 groups of 4 and play a round robin, the top 2 teams from each group qualify to be in stage 2.
Stage 2
- Runs like stage 1, but with new groups as there are new competitors.
- top 4 from each group move to playoffs, top 2 in playoffs make champs
LCQ
- Remaining 8 teams that did not qualify for champions take part in a double elimination bracket
- Top 2 teams in LCQ qualify for champions (grand final played purely for seeding)
- 2 teams who gained the most champions points throughout the year also qualify for champions as the 5th and 6th seeds.
Champions
- 24 teams from 4 ILs
- group stage with seeds 3-6 from each region, top 2 from each group qualify for playoffs
- the group winners are placed in a double elimination bracket against the top seeds from each region (1st seed vs 2nd in groups, 2nd seed vs 1st in groups)
Offseason event: Lock//In
- an optional single elimination event for partnered teams (would require a number of teams divisible by a power of 2)
- an international event (not quite masters level but less mickey mouse than EWC) in the offseason for a respectable trophy
Ascension 2
Runs the same as ascension 1, qualifies teams for the next year's kickoff event.
This would be super doable for riot as its all based on events they've run before, but with improvements to some events (e.g. removing mickey mouse 8 team masters) as well as reintroducing previously enjoyed formats such as lock//in and/or lcq.
problems we may have is the change to champs, I wanted to improve both masters events but then champs would have just been the same so i increased it to 24. another problem would be the champs points system for the non-partnered teams as they may have less opportunities to obtain them, as well as potentially being able to qualify for champs whilst not in the t1 leagues, so some rules may have to be put in place.
as for the team bundles, riot will most likely have to only make them for the permanent partnered teams but also release a generic regional skin which would contribute to the other teams.
cant wait for this to get ripped to shreds but ah well, at least i tried
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