The show goes on for LCS and LEC

The esports world is a big place. Any given weekend, there can be more than a dozen competitions taking place worldwide, from massive events such as Dota 2’s The International to League of Legends domestic play and regionals in Smash. Each week, we’ll take a look at the big picture and decide who had the biggest weekend, be it in impact on the esports scene, dominance of their game or making the most of a moment.

Last time out, pro athletes who fired up Twitch and the debut of Flashpoint earned our nod for the best moments. Here’s who we think won the weekend this time.

Winner: The LEC and LCS production teams

Look, I know some people aren’t happy about esports competitions going entirely online. It’s not the purest form of competition, and maybe you’d rather we just wait until we can all be in-person again. And there will certainly be production hiccups, whatever they are.

Now is NOT the time to complain.

What will I choose to focus on? The incredible effort put forth by the players, casters and especially the producers behind the scenes at the League of Legends Championship Series and League European Championship this weekend. I’ve been in media for a minute, and I know how difficult it is to put on a live production when everyone is in the same place, let alone when they are scattered in different areas (maybe even across the country or in different countries).

If it looks effortless, it’s because the people behind the scenes are doing such a good job.

The ones in front of the camera get a lot of love normally, so this is for every producer that worked remotely, maybe had to learn new software on the fly, load graphics, resize webcams, create overlays, mix audio, work on transitions, load stream decks, patch in games and coordinate everyone while practicing safe social distancing during this surreal time: Thank you.

Never thought I’d produce the #LCS from home! Thanks everyone behind the scenes of @LCSOfficial for working tirelessly to get us back on air. #howilcs pic.twitter.com/OjWqvPkrUp

— Arthur Chandra (@ArthurChandra) March 21, 2020

Take a bow. You deserve props. You provided entertainment and did your absolute best in extraordinary circumstances that we have never seen in our lifetimes. That’s remarkable, and we appreciate it very much.

The crazy thing is that they do it all again next week, and the week after. Cheers. No doubt in my mind the people pressing all the buttons behind the scenes won the weekend and will continue to be in the conversation for the weeks, maybe months, to come.

— Arda Ocal

Honorable mention: Doublelift hits 1,500 kills in LCS

Although Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng might not be the biggest fan of the spring split, he’s out there, and Team Liquid’s ace AD carry has added another accolade to his already crowded list of achievements.

In TL’s game against Evil Geniuses, Doublelift secured his 1,500th elimination in North America’s premier League of Legends competition, becoming the first player to do so in the LCS. Unlike his 500th kill on his original LCS team Counter Logic Gaming or his 1000th kill when he was a part of Team SoloMid, Doublelift didn’t pick up the victory to coincide with his benchmark. That’s how it has been all season for the four-peating league champions, who, at 7-9, don’t even control their own destiny heading into the final weekend of the regular season and will need some help to make the playoffs

If Doublelift & Co. don’t make the postseason, they’ll make a different kind of history as the first defending champion in LCS history to miss the playoffs the following season.

— Tyler Erzberger