League of Legends dev on how pro "celebrities" inspire new players: "there has to be a way for people to shine"

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League of Legends

Were you excited about the prospect of League of Legends' upcoming $5 million season ? Did you try watching some matches online, or other e-sports, like the recent Dota 2 invitational or Starcraft matches ? Did the insanely high quality of play scare you off for life? Don't worry. You're not alone, and you won't be expected to be anything like that good if you give the game a try. Not immediately, anyway.

"What we've seen about e-sports is that there's a couple of factors; there has to be a way for people to shine - there has to be a way for people to be almost celebrities or be well known in the community," he says. "People like to follow celebrities in their favourite sports, e-sports or any other type of game, right?"

"Tons of people play League of Legends, but a very small percentage play at the highest level, right?" adds Lead Producer Travis George. "It's like any other sport. It's like football, right? I watch all the great club teams play and then I go play in my back yard, but I understand the game's rules and everything."

That said, if you can jungle in your back yard, consider hiring a gardener.