Riot Games has revealed their plans to introduce the Fearless Draft, a revolutionary Champion drafting system, to tier 1 LoL Esports in 2025. But what exactly does this entail? Here’s everything you need to know about it.
The latest Dev Update on June 11 brought some major announcements for LoL fans. In addition to revealing the trailer for Arcane Season 2, Riot also shared plans for the integration of multiple leagues in LoL Esports. This includes the LCS merging with CBLoL and LLA, and the consolidation of all APAC leagues (except for LCK and LPL) into one by 2025.
In addition to introducing a new international tournament to the schedule, the 2025 season is bringing about many changes, including the implementation of the Fearless Draft, a new drafting system designed specifically for esports.
What exactly is the Fearless Draft, and how does it operate? Furthermore, how long has it been in existence?
What is the Fearless Draft in League of Legends?
The Fearless Draft is a unique Champion drafting system that prohibits teams from selecting Champions that were used in the previous game.
According to Riot, the upcoming Fearless Draft 2025 will be based on a modified version, implying that there may be some differences, but it is expected to bear a close resemblance to its current form.
Currently, the Fearless Draft used in tier 2 operates under the following guidelines:
In the first game, the drafting process remains unchanged, with teams following the usual protocol of banning and selecting their Champions.
In the second game, any Champions a team chooses cannot be selected again for the remainder of the game. However, their opponents are permitted to pick the same Champions they used in the previous game.
LPL is the first tier 1 league to use the Fearless Draft, with the banned Champion for each team being shown at the bottom
If the series goes to a third game, the team will not be able to pick the same Champions they used in the previous two games. However, their opponent will still have the option to choose those same Champions.
This is being done in an attempt to promote greater variety in team compositions, as teams will have to be highly strategic in their selection of Champions during the series.
It may have come to your attention that the Fearless Drat system is limited to three games, which poses a challenge as many LoL series consist of Best of 5 matches. To address this issue, Riot is expected to release an updated version of the draft.
Understanding the Contrast between Hard and Soft Fearless Draft
There are two versions of the Fearless Draft – a hard version and a soft version. The soft version is the more commonly used one, while the hard version has stricter bans.
The Fearless Draft system in use in an LCK CL match, with the Champs used being shown at the top.
In the soft version, opponents are allowed to select a Champion that has already been chosen by the enemy, as long as it has not been previously picked. In the hard version, once a Champion has been selected, it is not available for selection for the remainder of the series.
The LCK CL has been the pioneer and remains the sole league to adopt the challenging Fearless Draft.
Is the Fearless Draft a New Concept in LoL?
Indeed, the Fearless Draft has been previously utilized in League of Legends.
Currently, the LPL is the sole region among the top four to implement the draft format. This should come as no surprise, as the LPL was the first to adopt this method of drafting.
The LDL, the second tier of competition in China, was the first to implement this format in 2022 during their Summer split. The LCK CL has also recently adopted a modified version of the Fearless Draft, known as the hard Fearless Draft.
NACL, the secondary level of competition for LCS, will implement a modified Fearless Draft. This version will allow each team to ban only three Champions in game four, and no Champions will be banned by either team in game five.
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