Looking at the IEM Oakland teams

Yeah, I personally don't get why they're even doing that (like I understand that IEM wants to try and promote "all" esports, but the fact that TSM is realistically going to win due to the sheer lack of competition just has me feeling rather underwhelmed). Luckily, this week is rich with new video games so I'll probably focus on those as compared to this nonsense.

Well, if you want some drama, I actually think this is the first time TSM and UOL have met since IEM San Jose 2014, which was UOL's debut season and where they beat TSM 2-0. So there's a bit of a potential revenge tale there.

And speaking as a UOL fan, never underestimate them.

The problem is that this IEM tournament highlight what is fundamentally wrong with third party organizers in LOL and why third party tournament are not a thing in West (EU luckily is in a far better situation than NA because national tournaments foster competition and give a bare minimum of fanbase to have some continental tournament)

The problem is not much the quality of the teams in the event, the real problem is: WHY should I watch these games? What is their meaning - and the same can be said for their showmatch, why the hell should I care about two ULOL teams and not even the best ones if I'm not a NA viewer - ?

I mean, everyone want to see more international competition, but not in the way it is done. This is just a bunch of random teams pulled out from the ones that didn't refuse the invitation, there isn't a narrative about why those teams get there and what is the different meaning of it for the teams to compete in

Try to simply mimicking Worlds do not work because since a single Worlds exist in the current schedule no tournament will reach its importance, so they should aim to show something different. If you try to do the IEM way, the quality will vary depending on the quality of teams accepting the invitation (and for example I think semifinals and finals will be interesting at this IEM, and next IEM could be even better if teams don't pull out), but it will never be considered as close as an MSI or Worlds for importance because you don't get a reason why you should care

ah well, always nice to see UoL

but i really would have appreciated if they just played it on the preseason patch - IEM is not really comeptitive compared to LCS/worlds-cicle and that way they could have made it a lot more exciting.

It was the worst tournament I can remember seeing.