Riot reschedule League of Legends Season 2 playoffs, change venue for finals

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What was intended to be Sunday’s Season 2 quarterfinals finally concluded after eight hours of connection drops without victor, nor any reward for the series of hard-fought half-games its teams engaged in. Eventually Riot made the call to postpone the games until they had found a “new venue with a secure internet connection”. Two days on, they’ve found their venue.

The definitive quarterfinals will take place tomorrow, Wednesday 10th, beginning at 5pm Pacific time (1am GMT). They’ll be hosted in LA’s Galen Center, but not on the main stage, which is currently being set up for the world finals on Saturday – instead players will compete in the backstage area. The last minute scramble means there will be no live audience, bringing an unceremonious conclusion to a lengthy and frustrating debacle for all teams concerned.

“Players will be separated with no visibility of the opposing team,” says Riot’s VP of eSports, Dustin Beck. The developer will want to avoid the allegations of cheating that further plagued playoffs this weekend.

We’ll be covering the event, and will have a full recap as soon a the playoffs wrap up.

What’s the solution? Is tournament LAN the only way forward if Riot want the consistently clean results befitting an eSport?