Now that the 2016 League of Legends World Championship has come to an end, Season 7 promises to be the most competitive yet—both for casual and professional players. For the upcoming year, Riot is aiming to introduce game elements designed to promote and heighten strategic diversity (the assassin rework) as well as strategic mastery (a Sandbox Mode called Practice Tool). Amidst the flood of new features in the PBE, there is one particular feature I believe is worth hyping about, yet not getting not enough attention: Riot’s new replay system. In assessing the competitive landscape of both casual and professional play, I believe there is merit in exploring how the replay system can become the most influential feature leading up to Season 7.

----- How will the replay system potentially work? -----

While the replay system only exists in the PBE currently (meaning many of the features may be adjusted, added, or removed), it should be noted that it parallels the current spectator mode. Friendly to casual players with preexisting knowledge of former features, expect the replay system to be a product with low barrier to entry. On the PBE, replays will only be available to download and watch from your Match History page. As a discretion for those on the PBE, with the life cycle on replays being three days following almost daily PBE patch cycles, expect your replays to expire after the cycle duration for now.

Figure 1. Replay Mode on PBE Alpha Client

1 = Jump back 15 seconds [Backspace]
2 = Play/ Pause [P]
3 = Record
4 = Slow Down [-]
5 = Speed Up [+]
6 = At most 8x for Speed Up, .25x for Slow Down
7 = Current time in Presented Frame
8 = Time Selected/ Game Duration
9 = Red Side Checkpoints (Towers, Team Fights, Neutral Objectives)
10 = Blue Side Checkpoints (Towers, Team Fights, Neutral Objectives)

----- How can the new replay system be applied to personal play? -----

When recording personal gameplay for self improvement in the past, some of the trickiest elements included sifting through hours of footage, finding key team fights, and identifying key actors. Casual players in particular are not incentivized to take the time to use third-party applications unless they are serious about improving. Riot’s new replay system however is embedded into its new game client. Every person, regardless of his or her rank, time commitment, or dedication to the game can easily access footage of his or her own games. Its accessibility cannot be understated. Particularly with skirmishes, teamfights, and neutral objective control, players will be able to quickly identify their own play—and consequently diagnose areas for improvement.

Besides its accessibility to casual players, the new replay system offers improved clarity to all players regardless of personal investment into the game. The learning curve is low as replay mode parallels Riot’s existing spectator mode. Every highlight is time stamped. Every objective is bookmarked. Unlike third-party sites, which provide only recordings, Riot’s replay system allows players to instantaneously find specific moments of the game, from early laning phase to late game team fights. In decreasing the main negative externality for avoiding gameplay review (time spent), the incentives only increase.

Figure 2. Replay Mode on PBE Alpha Client

Alongside critiquing play, the replay system may result in a higher percentage of submissions regarding in-game bugs. Simply a means to record game footage, the replay system can be used as another tool for game maintenance. With higher accessibility to replay past games, casual players in particular will have greater capacity to identify a bug, record it, and send it to the balance team at Riot Games.

Lastly, the most obvious result of the new replay system: a larger percentage of the player base recording their own "LCS big plays." Ultimately, League of Legends is a game that caters to casual fans. Whenever most people critique odd balance changes, novel game elements, or potentially disruptive patches midseason, they tend to lose sight that it is all an attempt to make the game fresh or new for casual players and eSports spectators. Particularly with midseason patches, there may be some validity to the criticisms in regards to 1) player burnout and 2) disrupting competitive integrity by throwing away a team's strategic arsenal in a matter of one patch change. However, Riot does everything in order to generate greater overall interest and enjoyment for the game. Especially with eSports, community creations make up a bulk of its discursive formation—the conversations, investment, and involvement supporters share in identifying themselves to those within and beyond eSports culture. In granting the community another method to share their awesome in-game experiences, Riot only assists it in redefining what it means to be involved in eSports and what it means to be a gamer.

----- How can the new replay system be applied to professional play? -----

To understand how video replays can be utilized effectively for competitive League of Legends, I believe it is important to recognize how traditional sports are advancing their use of in-game replays. Starting this year, NBA teams are allowed to have hard-wired Internet connection from the bench to review and cut video for immediate access (i.e. for players to analyze present gameplay during timeouts or when substituted out). While the idea for breaking down film during time-outs is not entirely new, the ability to access real-time videos and footage just moments ago from the bench sets a new precedent in utilizing videos for player development. In critiquing their own tendencies minutes beforehand, NBA players are able to immediately adjust their game plan and play style based on their direct competitors.

Yes, both League of Legends and NBA teams already perform VOD reviews following games, scrims, and practice regiments. Yes, internet streaming platforms provide a plethora of opportunities for players to review their own play. These are concepts already discovered, already practiced. However, in cross-examining the NBA ruling and Riot’s new replay system, both share something that may become implicitly radical: the newfound role of the video coordinator and League of Legends analyst respectively.

Figure 3. SK Telecom Game Review in Between SKT vs. SSG Finals - image courtesy of flickr.com/lolesports

Instead of spending time in the video room during the game, NBA video coordinators now have the opportunity to work behind the bench with Internet access. In game, coordinators can review plays real-time, cut film, and produce clips by the time a player comes to the bench or the next timeout.

In relation with Riot’s new Replay System maximizing review time, we may see the implementation of specialized analysts similar to NBA video coordinators. In an attempt to parallel traditional sports franchises, League of Legends teams are currently requiring more personnel dedicated in specialized roles. We are already witnessing life coaches, sports psychologists, and game analysts. Now, in conjunction with the replay system’s unique functions (i.e. timestamps), we may see the rise of dedicated analysts specializing in handling game footage for player development. By cherry-picking desired moments of the game in a matter of minutes, video analysts will have the ability to cut desired scrim or solo-queue film in a matter of minutes. In doing so, multiple professional players can focus on a handful of strategic concepts during a week while relying on one or two video coordinators to cut pertinent clips for review. If not currently present, teams can also develop libraries of footage on certain strategic concepts, now that every replay is bookmarked for analysts’ convenience.

Figure 4. TSM Bjergsen about to sit down for TSM vs. RNG Group Stage Day 1 - image courtesy of flickr.com/lolesports

Besides changes in the analyst position, the implementation of a replay system may also revolutionize the opportunities professional players have in practice rooms prior to formal matches. Before the 2016 World Championship opening ceremony, TSM midlaner Bjergsen in TSM: LEGENDS - Season 2 Episode 27 - San Francisco lamented over Riot's ban on third-party programs— and consequently third-party replay systems.

"We aren't able to install any programs... I think the biggest thing for me is we're not able to use plays.tv. For soloq or for scrims I can't watch kind of my own perspective of the game and my laning. There's all these small things you pick up from a replay that I'm unable to pick up on. So I think we're more focused on getting a lot of games in and kind of getting the repetition because we can't sit down and watch our game from one point of view."

With a replay system hosted by the League of Legends client, every professional player will have access to game replays in practice rooms prior to formal matches. To relieve stress, fine-tune mechanics last minute, and review strategic play, eSport athletes will have options other than simply grinding games online.

Lastly, due to the rise of replay efficiency, we may also witness greater incentives for teams to improve effective practice regiments. For example, if a team dedicates itself for a week in practicing late-game team fighting, video analysts can easily compile every late-game team fight for every player during every scrim or solo-queue set. Easing the burden on coaches and players, video analysts can be given minimal context to operate as the replay system's bookmark feature will identify particular game moments (unlike plain game footage). The ability to instantaneously capture certain moments of the game will be able to make the experience of VOD review—as well as practice— both holistic and microscopic. Rather than wasting time scouring for certain moments, film can be easily identified and clipped to maximize time and fine-tune certain elements of strategic play.

----- Thinking Ahead -----

Figure 5. Cloud 9 Watching FW vs. SKT Group Stage Day 8 - image courtesy of flickr.com/lolesports

In Riot’s attempt to promote and heighten strategic diversity as well as strategic mastery, the new replay system may be the most important feature that satisfies both. Not only can everyone from Bronze to Challenger record his or her next “LCS Big Play,” but find value in reviewing that one blunder that may have decided defeat. In relation to professional play, if eSports organizations wish to maintain high win rates and the overall longevity of the scene, teams will need to develop solutions to the low career spans of professional eSports players and its high barrier to entry. When conversations do arise amongst professional teams on how to take the next step in competitive excellence, do not be surprised if the new replay system intersects with discussion on scrim culture, practice regiments, and VOD review.

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