Columbus, Ohio - Professional League of Legends

Columbus, Ohio deserves a professional League of Legends scene, in some form or another.

Before you denounce this or immediately ignore it, please continue reading to give this statement its due process; a lot of good can come from giving Columbus some attention, for the players, the fans, and even Riot Games.

Columbus, Ohio is a proven gaming hub. The MLG arena built late in 2014 has seen extraordinary success (http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2015/08/07/playing-for-keeps.html) and the culture in the city supports this concept as well, with venues like the 16-bit Bar + Arcade becoming immediately popular upon its opening and leading to subsequent locations in Cleveland and Cincinnati. The first time the words League of Legends were ever even spoken to me was in reference to a student-run tournament at The Ohio State University back when the game had barely left its infancy.

The location physically is pretty ideal on top of everything else, centered in the Midwest and very close to Chicago, where the Riot servers are based. What Columbus boasts over cities like Chicago, however, is a significantly more inexpensive living experience overall, from food costs to housing. The idea that Columbus serves as a test market for a variety of products within the United States as well backs up its credibility and reputation as a fairly representative sample among cities in the States.

Above all, the strongest argument I can make for Columbus, Ohio deserving a League of Legends scene of its own is that it features an incredible growth rate as a city, economically, and yet also has the almost ironic distinction of not being absurdly famous for any one thing in particular. The door is wide open for a major scene or industry to define the city nationally, or even globally, and make its name synonymous with Columbus, Ohio. I would like nothing more than to see Riot and League of Legends jump on the opportunity and offer so much to Midwestern fans in the process.

Thank you for reading. A little about me: I recently moved to New Jersey, but before that lived in Los Angeles for a few years after I graduated from The Ohio State University. Prior to attending college I had also grown up entirely around Columbus, so I have substantial basis for my analysis; perhaps some bias, as well, but in my time away from Columbus I developed some objective viewpoints and respect. I have a decent background in MOBAs, having played in some Heroes of the Storm tournaments and coming from four years of League of Legends casual play, as well as providing online content for GamerU for a number of MOBAs, including League of Legends.

Any questions or comments below are appreciated, and I can be reached via Twitter @CountMyPhrases. League of Legends: Curtains Please Battle.net: Phrases#1899