Champions Queue being brought to both China and Europe has been celebrated by high-level players, but servers for CQ are deserted in NA. It’s been days since a match has been played.
Champions Queue was conceptualized as a way to create a high-level practice environment for pro players, one that’s free from the downsides of solo queue. Efforts have been made around the world to clean up solo queue (some of which have had serious ramifications) to give pros a better place to practice.
CQ is a game-changer in this regard. If someone ints their game in Champions Queue, they won’t be back. Players are expected to communicate with each other in comms, creating practice that’s much closer to scrims or stage play. On paper, it’s a great idea.
And, while players in regions where CQ is getting implemented in 2023 are excited to jump in, things aren’t going so well in NA. At the time of writing, it’s been 3 days since a game of Champions Queue was played.
Champions Queue is all but abandoned in NA
While Champions Queue had its fair share of issues through its trial run in 2022, players and fans were ultimately excited by the environment. With players vying for prize money that comes with climbing the ladder and fans excited to see their favorite pros duke it out against each other, it didn’t seem like a bad trial run.
Worlds 2022 only re-invigorated that excitement. With pros from around the world playing CQ, more players than ever were practicing and creating a great place for the best teams to hone their skills outside of densely packed scrim blocks and game days.
However, 2023 Champions Queue seems to be dying early in the season.
3 days in a row of no games have come after a fairly inactive period of time that opened 2023’s first Champions Queue split. Other than IMT’s Kadir ‘Fleshy’ Kemiksiz playing 10 games in one day, most pros have only played a few matches on any given day of CQ.
Whether it’s pro players spending more time in scrims ahead of the coming LCS split or just a lack of reasons to queue up, it’s hard to say. However, former SK support player Erik ‘Treatz’ Wessén had a relevant take that came along with the announcement of Europe’s CQ.
In his eyes, the initial prize pool may have been part of what motivated players. That prize pool is gone. While Riot’s own Whoopley hopped into the replies of this tweet and said the financial incentive “wasn’t as impactful” as Riot thought it would be, it’s a big factor that’s missing in comparison to last year.
Champions Queue has proven to be successful in the right environments but, for now, it seems to be failing in its birthplace.
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