World Cup 2024 Developments: Controversy Erupts Over Draw Mishap
Fans of League of Legends esports found themselves in a heated debate following the recent draw for the World Cup 2024 Swiss stage, particularly after an unexpected incident occurred on the first day of the Swiss leg. A number of team labels were **missing** from the balls used in the draw, leading to widespread concerns and dissatisfaction among the community.
The situation unfolded when BLG, matched against an empty ball during their initial 1-0 draw, faced an unusual predicament. With LNG being the only team left to draw, this meant that BLG will now battle LNG in today’s nail-biting matches. However, some fans quickly raised questions about the integrity of the draw, suggesting that had the empty ball been drawn earlier, it might have altered the outcomes.
One fan pointedly remarked, “BLG vs. Nothing in the Ball should be a success,” while another user, FuriousKale, cynically added, “The balls had layoffs too.” Comments on social media highlighted a sense of disillusionment, with users like Old__Millennial expressing their disappointment: “It’s quite disgraceful and embarrassing of the production team to not make sure the balls contain the team names.”
In a further twist, during the second draw for losing teams (0-1), GAM Esports was again drawn with an empty ball. This prompted Riot Games to completely redo this second draw. Malu Malheiros, the Competitive Operations Lead for the LEC, and stage host Laure Valée navigated the situation with commendable poise, with Malu even responding playfully via a meme.
The controversial draw has sparked lively discussions on platforms like Reddit, with many expressing their disbelief and frustration. Renowned esports personalities, including Caedrel, took to social media to vent their exasperation, stating, “THERE WAS NO LABEL IN THE BALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL ????????????????????? BOTH IN POOL 1 AND POOL 2 WHAT THE FUCK KKKKKAYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.”
Meanwhile, the match between Mad Lions Koi and PSG Talon will mark another chapter in their intense rivalry, as they face off again after their Play-In qualifying match. Typically, when issues arise with the draw, tournament organizers opt to restart the process entirely. However, in this case, Riot Games decided to uphold the final draw from the live broadcast, a decision that has left many talking.
As the tournament continues with matches scheduled for today starting at 2 PM CEST, the discourse around this draw mishap only intensifies. Esports News UK has reached out to Riot Games for their comment regarding this unfolding situation and will provide updates as soon as a response is received.
