TL;DR
- Riot Games announced significant Champions Queue changes following community feedback about match quality
- Ex-professional players now gain access if they achieved Challenger rank in the current season
- Amateur players face stricter requirements, needing Challenger status to maintain access during Worlds
- Champions Queue serves as North America’s answer to Chinese super servers for elite practice
- The system uses custom Discord integration for voice communication and California-based servers for optimal ping
Riot Games has unveiled strategic modifications to Champions Queue, its premium matchmaking platform, as global teams converge for the 2022 World Championship. These adjustments represent a significant evolution in how elite players prepare for international competition.
The announced changes emerged directly from vocal concerns expressed by both community members and professional competitors regarding the Champions Queue experience leading into the championship. Riot Whoopley, serving as Riot Games’ Academy Director, communicated these updates through a Reddit post that has since been removed from the platform.
Champions Queue changes set the stage for Worlds 2022
Through a Reddit discussion subsequently deleted by r/leagueoflegends moderators, Riot Whoopley detailed the forthcoming Champions Queue modifications. Issues arose when amateur competitors and lower-ranked collegiate players appeared in matches alongside legendary figures like Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok during the initial Worlds period, prompting Riot to publicly address their commitment to refining the competitive environment.
The implemented modifications focus on several critical adjustments designed to maintain the exclusive nature of this specialized matchmaking service. Primary among these changes is the extension of access privileges to former professional players, provided these individuals reached Challenger tier during the ongoing competitive season. While originally conceived to cultivate North American competitive talent, the system now must adapt to serve international competitors during the world championship period.
Photos of the post if anyone wants to read it here 📸 pic.twitter.com/wnhFuY0Hiq
— Whoopley (@Whoopley) October 5, 2022
During the World Championship timeframe, Champions Queue will implement more stringent access limitations for North American amateur competitors. Amateur participants must now demonstrate Challenger achievement within the current calendar year to retain their server privileges throughout the tournament duration.
What is Champions Queue?
Champions Queue represents a specialized matchmaking environment exclusively for elite League of Legends competitors within North America. This Riot-operated service emerged following extensive criticism from the professional community regarding standard ranked play conditions. The platform aims to replicate aspects of the renowned Chinese ‘super server’ concept—a gaming environment with stringent entry requirements that guarantees premium competitive quality for established professionals and rising talents alike.
As international squads arrive for the World Championship 2022, Champions Queue has transformed into the primary training ground for world-class competitors. This integration of global teams has been officially designated “CQ Worlds” by Riot Whoopley.
While generally effective in its mission, the system continues to face scrutiny regarding match quality standards both during the current world championship and throughout previous competitive periods.
How does Champions Queue work?
Champions Queue operates as an invitation-exclusive matchmaking service utilizing a streamlined version of League of Legends’ ranked server infrastructure based in California. This geographical positioning ensures minimal latency for professional athletes competing in the LCS, which operates from Los Angeles venues. Current professionals, former pros, amateur competitors, and collegiate talents must apply for server participation and can subsequently join matches through a customized Discord platform that enables voice communication—a crucial feature since League of Legends lacks integrated voice chat beyond pre-formed parties.
The newly announced modifications aim to optimize the experience for visiting Worlds-qualified squads and ensure practice sessions exclusively involve Challenger-tier competitors. The ultimate impact of these changes on perceived CQ Worlds match quality remains to be thoroughly evaluated through competitive results and participant feedback.
Action Checklist
- Verify Challenger rank achievement before applying for Champions Queue access during Worlds
- Complete application process through official Riot channels with current competitive credentials
- Configure Discord integration for voice communication and team coordination
- Monitor ping performance and adjust practice schedules based on server load patterns
- Provide constructive feedback through official channels to help refine future Champions Queue iterations
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