Do multi-man rosters work in League of Legends?

In a recreation as dynamic and strategically intricate as League of Legends, groups are continuously in search of methods to achieve a aggressive edge. Over the 15 years of this esport, groups have introduced in superior teaching frameworks, which vary from primary scrim coaching to sports activities psychology, bodily exercises, and even vitamin. 

But, one of the crucial controversial methods is the multi-man roster, the place groups rotate between a number of gamers as a substitute of sticking to a constant beginning 5.

On paper, the multi-man roster opens up for extra flexibility and flexibility to meta shifts, but additionally permits the workforce to mess around particular traits of the gamers, together with champion mastery and total playstyle. That stated, the multi-man roster idea hasn’t normally translated to success and has typically led to worse outcomes over time. 

So, is the speculation not relevant to League of Legends, or is the methodology within the present state not working as supposed? Let’s break it down.  

A multi-man roster, just like the identify suggests, refers to a lineup with than 5 beginning gamers. All gamers could be rotated out and in based mostly on latest type, matchups, or strategic wants, even throughout the identical collection.

That is normally completely different from having only one substitute participant on the roster, since all gamers are anticipated to repeatedly share playtime.

The primary groups to notoriously herald a multi-man roster to League of Legends esports have been the LCS squads again in 2016. Throughout that season, many esports organisations, together with groups like Group Liquid, Echo Fox, NRG, and Renegades, used this strategy.

Again then, org house owners thought it might be an effective way to enhance the workforce’s efficiency and permit them to make massive steps ahead: “I’m of the opinion a 10-man roster will optimise efficiency for all 10 gamers. Their enchancment is especially tied to how properly they perceive the sport, from patch to patch. The collaboration between gamers, facilitated by our teaching employees ought to create an atmosphere the place gamers be taught extra rapidly”, stated CEO and co-owner Group Liquid Steve “Liquid112” Arhancet, again when the roster was fashioned.

The thought of a multi-man roster in LoL comes with some theoretical upsides but additionally potential pitfalls. 

On the plus aspect, it ought to give groups extra methods to adapt to patches, particularly if a given meta favours sure champions or playstyles. By subbing in a participant specialised in these, you possibly can improve the general ceiling of the workforce. 

It can be nice to seek out out new diamonds within the tough, permitting them to achieve beneficial expertise on stage and probably enhance all gamers on the roster whereas additionally masking in case of accidents or poor efficiency. Most significantly, nevertheless, groups run in-house scrims to check out methods or drafts with out leaking them to future opponents.

That being stated, the fixed change of lineups can kill the synergy and make it laborious for gamers to adapt to 1 one other, resulting in inconsistent efficiency and confusion across the workforce’s identification. The fixed strain of delivering may harm gamers’ confidence, which is an important factor in League of Legends, as selections could be made in cut up seconds. 

Taking the 2016 LCS groups by instance, the multi-man rosters didn’t actually work. A lot of the groups with this strategy didn’t place properly through the common splits, and even Group Liquid, which was thought of one of many prime contenders, didn’t qualify for the year-end World Championship.

A number of Korean groups additionally utilized the multi-man technique since that interval, however most of them have been backmarker groups who have been hoping to seek out gems all through the season. 

The one instance of the multi-man roster understanding was in 2021 when T1 created a roster, that includes a number of gamers throughout each position besides assist. The thought behind the roster was to leverage completely different playstyles and permit a number of younger skills to develop themselves on stage, similar to Zeus, Oner, and Gumayusi, who all went on to grow to be superstars within the following years. 

Whereas the workforce carried out decently throughout that season, its greatest performances have been at all times reached when the roster was decreased to 5 beginning gamers, and finally allowed them to complete within the prime 4 at Worlds 2021. Keria previously stated that as a result of the members are rotating, the multi-man roster lacks synergy in comparison with simply having 5 folks.

Multi-man rosters sound nice in idea, however on the prime aggressive stage, they’ve hardly ever delivered constant success. 

For the reason that T1 10-man roster, groups have deserted this strategy, resulting in the present period during which most groups stick with a beginning quintet with one (or a most of two) replacements. 

It is because the synergy wanted in League of Legends makes it actually laborious for gamers to rapidly modify to a number of replacements directly, finally killing the consistency and cohesion constructed. Having one substitute participant in a core position for the workforce removes a big a part of the synergy subject, probably resulting in stronger outcomes. 

That doesn’t imply, nevertheless, that the idea is ineffective. Groups have been engaged on academy groups and expertise improvement behind the scenes, and more rookies have stepped up to the big stage in recent times. 

The primary subject is that with how little time there’s to ship ends in the present League of Legends aggressive panorama. Making a system for the 10-man roster would in all probability require greater than a season, and even then, the chance price could be too excessive, each from a aggressive however most significantly, financial standpoint.