Welcome back to the NA LCS Scouting Grounds, where professional teams look to add to their ranks with some of the best up-and-coming talent that North America has to offer. Let’s get you caught up on what to expect heading into this year’s event!

Event Overview

Just like last year, 20 of the top NA Solo Queue players will hit the Rift as part of one of four teams. Each team will be represented by one of the Elemental Dragons (Infernal, Mountain, Cloud, and Ocean), and thanks to overwhelming interest from the teams this year, multiple organizations will link up to help the players orchestrate some next-level strats. We also wanted to give the players more opportunities to strut their stuff, so we’ve added an extra Round-Robin phase to last year’s format. The teams will now battle through a Double Bo3 (Best of 3) Round Robin during the week, which will then culminate with a Bo3 Third Place match that’s followed by a Bo3 First Place match.

Meet the Players

Meet the Teams

Changes and Additions

During the 2017 NA Scouting Grounds, we received mixed feedback from both players and organizations about the way the draft affected the event. For example, some players felt that the draft limited their options and hurt their chances to get on a team, while some teams felt forced into conversations they weren’t otherwise interested in. Based on feedback like this, we’ve decided not to do a draft this year. While we know the draft was a fun component of the viewing experience last year, based on the feedback we felt this was the best approach for our players, organizations, and the overall amateur ecosystem.

With that being said, we’re adding a brand-new component this year that’ll help highlight the best players even more. So, without further ado, introducing: The Top Five Prospects! We’ll have our teams, analysts, and some special guests vote for the players they think will be the top prospects of the year, then after they’ve submitted their secret ballots, we’ll tally up the results. The players with the highest vote count will then be presented with a coveted Top 5 Prospect Award which includes a spotlight on social media that features awesome highlight reels made by some of our very best community creators and the opportunity to do an in-depth VOD review with a pro player.

Fan Experience

We felt that last year’s broadcast of both the Third and First Place matches really leveled up the event as a whole, so we’re pleased to announce that those matches will once again be live streamed this for this year’s Scouting Grounds. The teams will also have press outlets embedded with them throughout the event, making it easy to follow storylines and stay up-to-date. In addition, make sure you stay tuned in for the big reveal of this year’s Top Five Prospects after the games. We look forward to bringing you some of the best and brightest upcoming talent our scene has to offer, so be sure to mark your calendars and we’ll see you on November 17!