i’ve been out of the whole esports loop for the past year or 2. what happened to sam?!? please don’t break my heart…. i still call people “cocoa-shunter” to this day
26:08 Functionally “If I speak too plainly about the people that are directly responsible for abusive behavior, we may miss out on our opportunity to deflect blame when another team destroys a player’s future.” “You sometimes can miss the ‘things’ that were leading up to that ‘stuff.” What a fucking coward.
18:30 "I'm pretty sure Quas mentioned having something.. trouble sleeping, restless mind" To me this is the clearest example of carrying water for Riot, completely brushing over one of the most serious player health issues in LCS history
I still don't get why they went this direction when they can just use her as a scapegoat and highlight how this is a singular case. They probably expected EG to still be in the league. Still waiting for the article with the title: LoL publisher admitted to systemic mental breakdown issues in their E-sport.
A fun fact about Jackie, when I was at the LCS Finals in Chicago in 2022, she refused to do any on camera interviews. She didn’t even want photos taken. The commissioner of the LCS.
To this day i can not wrap my head around that they rather pretended this is a """"""""""systemic"""""""" issue rather than just throwing EG/Nicole under the bus. So you rather want to make the entire scene look bad than just one person/org? Wow she really had them by the balls I guess
Honestly if what happened to dani was as common as riot / markz wants it to seem then the league should be shut down and everyone involved should be investigated. It is not the cover up they think it is
That Jabba reference was so great, I laughed so loud I had someone come over to ask me if I am ok. Thank you, Richard, this was the perfect comparison!
You might have some valid points in the video my boi but you come off so jaded I can't take most of it seriously. Maybe that's a me issue though but I legit listened to 40 minutes of this and my take away was you just complaining most of the time and the fact you're not fond of mark because of how handled certain things (but that could be a more nuanced issues if we hear his side of things and understand his views better) o7 soldier
Mark has mentioned that the commissioner role internally is called Product Lead. If that's true then it makes sense how he'd be qualified. It's also in line with what you, Monte, and Thorin said about the LCS commissioner not really having any power. Also, the Danny thing in Marks video... yeah it wouldn't surprise me if Riot is taunting us with that.
I'm sure the correct and socially polite thing to do, when one of your coworkers is promoted, is to share pleasantries and generally positive statements.
Players crumbling under pressure and their mental health is suffering? That's not an isolated incident it happenes all the time! How is that the response? It makes it way worse ! How the f saying it's systemic makes it better ?
I was trying to fall asleep to this but it was too entertaining and I burst out laughing at 59:27. Btw thanks for reading out on the titles and tweets making your videos audio only friendly
Dom has been on the record talking about his panic attacks and tbh it sounded more like panic disorder. Pretty sure it wasn’t “ occasionally “ like he said, pretty sure Dom mentioned it being before every match.
Damn Richard your star wars jabba the hut reference has me dying 😂. Thanks for continuing to call out the bullshit regardless if the masses lose their mind over it.
I'm the source. Multiple people who went for job interviews with Riot, some who got hired some who didn't, were asked the question in the interview process. Montecristo's casting was also the topic of an interview question, something that has also been confirmed publicly.
32:31 I remember reading that reply chain and just being baffled. Someone so brainless, without a single original thought in their head, that they legitimately think any opinion outside their accepted groupthink is wrong and has no merit. It's sad. Also just shows how clueless they are. They don't say "look at this general opinion," they said "scroll through the timeline." They just _assume_ you are also following the same people saying all these positive things. Because the echo chamber they've built for themselves is the only world they're aware of now.
Refreshing to hear some valid criticism of Riot. Being a relatively high-level player, it has been evident to me for many years now that even the game design teams must have serious issues constantly, as it is simply inexplicable how bad the state of the game is in some parts, for long periods of time. Must be significant problems in the company all around.
@evanblaylock2750 That is not what balancing a game means. You don't balance a game so the bottom players can play evenly against the top. That's literally not the definition of balance. They fail in balancing the champions and items, simple as that. That's why they're getting rid of mythic items since it was a hassle for them.
i tried at one point to follow travis to get news about league. i quickly lost interest because 99.9% of every bit of content he creates is just him being a vain asshole to everyone around him. i also lost interest in markz for the same reason.
A new commissioner doing anything but bringing in sweeping rule changes would be down playing what happened to Danny. This isn't down playing it, this is trying to cover it up and pretend it didn't happen. It feels like criminal negligence
this is the video that'd need to get on the front page of league reddit to destroy a bunch of narratives but the mods would insta snipe the video down if this got posted there.
I don’t know if people connected to riot really aren’t allowed to speak about you one of the main color casters / hosts for VCT americas, Sideshow talks about your journalism quite often when it comes to saudi and there was one before as well. He’s directly tied to riot so idk
I have two complaints about this video, but overall think its solid: 1) you keep saying that 'reporting' is a matter of public record and use it in the sense that it makes it fact. We all know that reporting is very flawed, often. Is it fact a lot of the time? Yes. But, its a little oversold here and it paints just about everything as black and white. 2) MarkZ has already come out and said what was and wasn't his initiatives, so he isn't just a patsy, he at least gets to enact a vision. Though, he is very much a mouth piece but should still be given at least some credit. Overall, I concur with the big fuck you to Riot though.
People don’t care about me in 2013 cause I’m a whiney little girl. I have the expectation of being able to trash a company and them still love me and support my work. Boooo hooooooo Honestly, glad you uncover what you do, but how is it that you’re shocked and awed at the the way you’re reacted to.
I guess if the Comissioner is pretty much an on screen "puppet" for Riot then MarkZ does at least have qualifications by being on camera as a content creator
I’m not giving anyone credit for anything but I’ve worked at a corporation for a long time and this type of stuff happens to a lot of people that are under a lot of pressure at work. Not saying it is ok, but just that it happens a lot. Capitalism is a bitch and these companies learn to adapt to things quickly and someone is always in the wings trying to ride the wave into their position that they currently want
As a 23 yr old d00d was working 80hrs a week, broke, living in a closet and coping with life by watching IMDB top 100? Sounds like someone Riot would hire to run a league!
What I find so disgusting in this MarkZ video is that he talks about a time when there was quite literally no support structure, everything was very unprofessional, very little money was in the scene, everyone had to fear for their job because of relegation. All that has changed since then including the support structure (remember, these teams had therapists on payroll when he made that video), players are making millions and are financially stable, there was no relegation, basically all the reasons for his stress were gone and he is trying to tell us that his experiences are worth anything in the Danny situation? What an idiot.
So...I still don't understnad what skills does he have that make him a fit for the job...? I don't think this guy can decide what socks to wear, let alone make important decisions regarding other players careers.
Something that is overlooked in this situation: Mark was by far the worst "analyst" on the broadcast. The LCS was already a joke, but he made it much worse than it had to be. Each week, he'd intentionally throw his vote to the underdog for "content" and he had no real thoughts or opinions other than "trolling." This is the kind of unserious and braindead person they put in charge.
It is a shame you left that esports awards panel. I know you did it due to the flow of blood money but all that will remain is a circle jerk rewarding bad actors. Appreciate the content Rich and love the substack.
Wow I had never seen his takes on the Danny situation that was really bad. Its sad to see because when Markz first showed up I actually liked him and thought he was good for the broadcast, but since he started associating so closely with Travis he actually took on his worst qualities. Seems insincere about the game now like he's just there for the paycheck.
I've been watching LCS for 9 years this summer (since s5 summer). Markz is one of the most anodyne, wallpaper-eske figures on that desk, only slightly more engaging than Emily Rand. I can't believe there are people going to the hilt for him. He has so clearly been hired as a yes man. What I really don't understand is why they hired somene from the same broadcast that has been shedding viewers every year since he joined expecting anything to get better. Though I suppose having him off the broadcast may be a boon alone. Thank fuck for Dom and co streams!
I haven't cared about League since season 4 but even I knew markz would just fill a community manager spot like blizzard does since 2005 whenever someone complains
You can always tell when teenagers engage with your content by how pathetic their insults are. Just go and watch something else. My content isn't for you.
@@RLewisReports Your whole existence is pathetic. and looking at the view count of your videos it looks like you need my view. Jeez man its extremely ironic that you are criticizing viewer numbers when it doesnt seem like you pull in much more yourself. I know you dont care about being likable but youve made being unlikable your whole shtick
Can you maybe think of the differences between an esports broadcast that costs tens of thousands of dollars every day it runs versus one guy sat in an office talking about esports and think why viewership matters to one more than the other? Again, my content isn't for you. I don't want or need you to click on it. You're a moron, there's plenty of content for morons. All the best.
This video made me so angry (not cause of Rich). This guy is now the commissioner and brushes aside the worst thing that's happened to a western LoL player EVER. I have no idea why Markz is beloved, the worst western analyst there's ever been. Can't wait for him to be excited about the Esports World Cup. This guy is not a healthy member of our society and shouldn't be near a leadership position.
Hey I know this comment isn't on topic for this video but what do you think of the January 6th riots by Republicans vs the coastal city riots by democrats in 2016 when Hillary lost? Am I fabricating memories but did Hillary not also call out Trump for having cheated the election in some way and practically instigate riots? Idk it feels like the same people screeching at Trump today were out on the streets shooting fireworks and turning over cars when trump was elected, and now they're saying Trump and Republicans don't believe in democracy
The problem is this will never change as long as they are biggest game company in the world. And honestly I would rather support them than fcking blizzard. For me they are atleast the lesser evil in this hellish space. It is unfortunate but this is all that we have.
Please bring back “I Hate it Here.” I’ve never missed a podcast more… 😢
It's not going to happen mate. Big gull has finally got him. He only talks about the easy topics now.
I think Rich and Sam content is a thing of the past I'm afraid. Big Gull got to him for sure. #Prayforsam #prayfornomorebats
i’ve been out of the whole esports loop for the past year or 2. what happened to sam?!? please don’t break my heart…. i still call people “cocoa-shunter” to this day
@@billyhutsonI'm not sure if he's officially moved on but he's doing other work now.
Sam was a college student when he was working with Rich. People move up and on with life. @@billyhutson
Richard you made me laugh so much with this video you hit the nail on the head endlessly about this whole topic. 100/10
26:08 Functionally “If I speak too plainly about the people that are directly responsible for abusive behavior, we may miss out on our opportunity to deflect blame when another team destroys a player’s future.”
“You sometimes can miss the ‘things’ that were leading up to that ‘stuff.”
What a fucking coward.
18:30 "I'm pretty sure Quas mentioned having something.. trouble sleeping, restless mind"
To me this is the clearest example of carrying water for Riot, completely brushing over one of the most serious player health issues in LCS history
I still don't get why they went this direction when they can just use her as a scapegoat and highlight how this is a singular case. They probably expected EG to still be in the league.
Still waiting for the article with the title: LoL publisher admitted to systemic mental breakdown issues in their E-sport.
Travis mentioned that he was going to be a lobbyist before LoL and that just makes perfect sense
A fun fact about Jackie, when I was at the LCS Finals in Chicago in 2022, she refused to do any on camera interviews. She didn’t even want photos taken. The commissioner of the LCS.
Richard dunking on Riot, Riot shills, and redditors/twitter users is always up my cup of tea. Another certified banger.
To this day i can not wrap my head around that they rather pretended this is a """"""""""systemic"""""""" issue rather than just throwing EG/Nicole under the bus. So you rather want to make the entire scene look bad than just one person/org? Wow she really had them by the balls I guess
Always love league content from you Lewis. Keep it up!
Honestly if what happened to dani was as common as riot / markz wants it to seem then the league should be shut down and everyone involved should be investigated. It is not the cover up they think it is
Your spoiling us brother. It makes my finish carpentry work zoom by thanks Rich!
That Jabba reference was so great, I laughed so loud I had someone come over to ask me if I am ok. Thank you, Richard, this was the perfect comparison!
You might have some valid points in the video my boi but you come off so jaded I can't take most of it seriously. Maybe that's a me issue though but I legit listened to 40 minutes of this and my take away was you just complaining most of the time and the fact you're not fond of mark because of how handled certain things (but that could be a more nuanced issues if we hear his side of things and understand his views better) o7 soldier
Mark has mentioned that the commissioner role internally is called Product Lead. If that's true then it makes sense how he'd be qualified. It's also in line with what you, Monte, and Thorin said about the LCS commissioner not really having any power.
Also, the Danny thing in Marks video... yeah it wouldn't surprise me if Riot is taunting us with that.
I'm sure the correct and socially polite thing to do, when one of your coworkers is promoted, is to share pleasantries and generally positive statements.
That Jabba the Hutt gremlin impression was too on point man, I had to stop what I was doing for a bit.
The Junji Ito reference in a LCS video was a new one
Damn Richard what did Terry Pratchett did to you :D He is a great writer.
Players crumbling under pressure and their mental health is suffering? That's not an isolated incident it happenes all the time! How is that the response? It makes it way worse ! How the f saying it's systemic makes it better ?
Jesus ducking Christ the older you and thorin get the saltier you are and I enjoy IT so much, thanks for the content king of journalism.
Much love for all the work youve been putting in.
I was trying to fall asleep to this but it was too entertaining and I burst out laughing at 59:27. Btw thanks for reading out on the titles and tweets making your videos audio only friendly
I kept asking myself “who tf is Jackie?” Last I remembered the commissioner was Chris Greeley lol
NGL the Jabba bit is, for me, the funniest RL rant I've ever seen!
I was watching the IMDb top 100 when i was massively depressed. This can't be a good sign
Their "big" announcement today was such a fucking joke. Just classic Riot using many words to say absolutely nothing.
Hope you’re doing well Rich, thank you for the content.
Junji Ito reference right at the start is reference game defently on point
Dom has been on the record talking about his panic attacks and tbh it sounded more like panic disorder. Pretty sure it wasn’t “ occasionally “ like he said, pretty sure Dom mentioned it being before every match.
Ayy, thats not fair. I make it to the end of most your videos :D. Im joking and know you are talking about the majority. Great vids, Richard.
love u rich, member i6 or something, u telling a story bout something i dont fricking remember atm. Keep going strong
The biggest joke is how EG was nominated at the game awards for best esport team...
Damn Richard your star wars jabba the hut reference has me dying 😂. Thanks for continuing to call out the bullshit regardless if the masses lose their mind over it.
"Travis is the mouth of Sauron" is wild. lol wtf
source on the richard lewis interview question?
Would love that too
I'm the source. Multiple people who went for job interviews with Riot, some who got hired some who didn't, were asked the question in the interview process. Montecristo's casting was also the topic of an interview question, something that has also been confirmed publicly.
32:31 I remember reading that reply chain and just being baffled. Someone so brainless, without a single original thought in their head, that they legitimately think any opinion outside their accepted groupthink is wrong and has no merit. It's sad.
Also just shows how clueless they are. They don't say "look at this general opinion," they said "scroll through the timeline." They just _assume_ you are also following the same people saying all these positive things. Because the echo chamber they've built for themselves is the only world they're aware of now.
brilliant video. best way to get informed about the esports scene.
120k we used to pray for times like this
Don't clown on Terry Pratchett! I had good laughs reading his books as a teen haha
yeah, that is Riot in a nutshell!
Refreshing to hear some valid criticism of Riot. Being a relatively high-level player, it has been evident to me for many years now that even the game design teams must have serious issues constantly, as it is simply inexplicable how bad the state of the game is in some parts, for long periods of time. Must be significant problems in the company all around.
@evanblaylock2750 That is not what balancing a game means. You don't balance a game so the bottom players can play evenly against the top. That's literally not the definition of balance. They fail in balancing the champions and items, simple as that. That's why they're getting rid of mythic items since it was a hassle for them.
A relatively high-level player (gold 2)
"refreshing to hear some valid criticism of Riot" mf are you pretending that criticism of Riot is hard to find?
Wonder if he will use his new power and try to root out this systemic problems 🤔
I mean if 90% of the players experience it there's nothing to be done about it, it's just part of the job, deal with it, watch imdb top100
The Invasion of Riotsnatchers.
Hello Richard. Would you consider making a video about the top stories you broke this year?
Best video Richard ever made. If you can take pop corns, beer or snacks.
i tried at one point to follow travis to get news about league. i quickly lost interest because 99.9% of every bit of content he creates is just him being a vain asshole to everyone around him. i also lost interest in markz for the same reason.
A new commissioner doing anything but bringing in sweeping rule changes would be down playing what happened to Danny. This isn't down playing it, this is trying to cover it up and pretend it didn't happen. It feels like criminal negligence
this is the video that'd need to get on the front page of league reddit to destroy a bunch of narratives but the mods would insta snipe the video down if this got posted there.
Jake Lucky would have a better chance at being Commisioner of LCS than Travis fukin Gafford.
Great work yet again Rich
I could be interpreting this wrong but I am getting the sense that Riot/Reddit and Richard don't get along.
I don’t know if people connected to riot really aren’t allowed to speak about you
one of the main color casters / hosts for VCT americas, Sideshow talks about your journalism quite often when it comes to saudi and there was one before as well. He’s directly tied to riot so idk
Got any other examples besides the guy putting his career on the line to call out the Saudi takeover of esports?
Richard getting one guy'd 30:36 xD
Made my day, thank you.
Markz vs CM Punk for the battle over the cult of personality place your bets
I have two complaints about this video, but overall think its solid: 1) you keep saying that 'reporting' is a matter of public record and use it in the sense that it makes it fact. We all know that reporting is very flawed, often. Is it fact a lot of the time? Yes. But, its a little oversold here and it paints just about everything as black and white. 2) MarkZ has already come out and said what was and wasn't his initiatives, so he isn't just a patsy, he at least gets to enact a vision. Though, he is very much a mouth piece but should still be given at least some credit. Overall, I concur with the big fuck you to Riot though.
People don’t care about me in 2013 cause I’m a whiney little girl. I have the expectation of being able to trash a company and them still love me and support my work. Boooo hooooooo
Honestly, glad you uncover what you do, but how is it that you’re shocked and awed at the the way you’re reacted to.
Why are you using girl as an insult? Take a look at your own words first, buddy.
Calm down Rich, our puny brains can't handle this much top notch content. All craziness aside, keep rocking 🤘
47:30 is hilarious
I don't follow LoL but I really enjoyed this video nonetheless... great work my friend ^^
i dont read
terry pratchett not a good author?
Is Markz the final boss of the "shill" tribe?
man this made laugh a lot!
I guess if the Comissioner is pretty much an on screen "puppet" for Riot then MarkZ does at least have qualifications by being on camera as a content creator
I’m not giving anyone credit for anything but I’ve worked at a corporation for a long time and this type of stuff happens to a lot of people that are under a lot of pressure at work. Not saying it is ok, but just that it happens a lot. Capitalism is a bitch and these companies learn to adapt to things quickly and someone is always in the wings trying to ride the wave into their position that they currently want
One of the few times I'm going to have to disagree with a lot of Rich's takes here.
If you ever felt useless remember there's LCS commissioner.
As a 23 yr old d00d was working 80hrs a week, broke, living in a closet and coping with life by watching IMDB top 100?
Sounds like someone Riot would hire to run a league!
What I find so disgusting in this MarkZ video is that he talks about a time when there was quite literally no support structure, everything was very unprofessional, very little money was in the scene, everyone had to fear for their job because of relegation. All that has changed since then including the support structure (remember, these teams had therapists on payroll when he made that video), players are making millions and are financially stable, there was no relegation, basically all the reasons for his stress were gone and he is trying to tell us that his experiences are worth anything in the Danny situation?
What an idiot.
So...I still don't understnad what skills does he have that make him a fit for the job...? I don't think this guy can decide what socks to wear, let alone make important decisions regarding other players careers.
Wdym, he's a riot cult member, loved by the community, and has experience with content creation. A perfect community manager
Imagine if Travis "Adopted doublelift to gain a career" gafford got a high level position at riot lol.
Does Richard Lewis ever have anything positive to say?
Day by day Rich gets more Brit ish. Won’t be long before he’s nigh on unintelligible to most LUL
Something that is overlooked in this situation: Mark was by far the worst "analyst" on the broadcast. The LCS was already a joke, but he made it much worse than it had to be. Each week, he'd intentionally throw his vote to the underdog for "content" and he had no real thoughts or opinions other than "trolling." This is the kind of unserious and braindead person they put in charge.
It is a shame you left that esports awards panel. I know you did it due to the flow of blood money but all that will remain is a circle jerk rewarding bad actors. Appreciate the content Rich and love the substack.
11:17 ?
Another L for the LCS.
Thank you important figures in League for once again downplaying what happened to Danny.
I enjoyed this video, but didn’t like how he negatively characterized MarkZ. I think Mark really does care and has a lot of personality.
I support this video
As an old head I’m proud of my fellow old heads showing the young guys how power actually works.
Anger and hate are a requirement to be a league player, but you seem overqualified. Can you be a CoD or CSGO "journalist" instead?
i have a sad news for you Richard! Markz is the best for the position because the other choices would be even worse! Thats how bad the situation is!
Wow I had never seen his takes on the Danny situation that was really bad. Its sad to see because when Markz first showed up I actually liked him and thought he was good for the broadcast, but since he started associating so closely with Travis he actually took on his worst qualities. Seems insincere about the game now like he's just there for the paycheck.
Your coverage helps me remove the final plugs that have had me caring about the esport of such a shit company. Thanks, mate.
I've been watching LCS for 9 years this summer (since s5 summer). Markz is one of the most anodyne, wallpaper-eske figures on that desk, only slightly more engaging than Emily Rand. I can't believe there are people going to the hilt for him. He has so clearly been hired as a yes man. What I really don't understand is why they hired somene from the same broadcast that has been shedding viewers every year since he joined expecting anything to get better. Though I suppose having him off the broadcast may be a boon alone. Thank fuck for Dom and co streams!
I haven't cared about League since season 4 but even I knew markz would just fill a community manager spot like blizzard does since 2005 whenever someone complains
Markz, expert in system theory, clearly the best choice for "commissioner"
Thought LCS died a year ago.
This video, listening this memo made me sick and throw up. This is disgusting
Richard Lewis is the most petty journalist out there. How do you get to play victim in every story? Do you have any friends?
You can always tell when teenagers engage with your content by how pathetic their insults are. Just go and watch something else. My content isn't for you.
@@RLewisReports Your whole existence is pathetic. and looking at the view count of your videos it looks like you need my view. Jeez man its extremely ironic that you are criticizing viewer numbers when it doesnt seem like you pull in much more yourself. I know you dont care about being likable but youve made being unlikable your whole shtick
Can you maybe think of the differences between an esports broadcast that costs tens of thousands of dollars every day it runs versus one guy sat in an office talking about esports and think why viewership matters to one more than the other? Again, my content isn't for you. I don't want or need you to click on it. You're a moron, there's plenty of content for morons. All the best.
This video made me so angry (not cause of Rich). This guy is now the commissioner and brushes aside the worst thing that's happened to a western LoL player EVER. I have no idea why Markz is beloved, the worst western analyst there's ever been. Can't wait for him to be excited about the Esports World Cup. This guy is not a healthy member of our society and shouldn't be near a leadership position.
i'm not sure anything would make richard lewis happy at this point. guy's completely lost it if he ever had it in the first place
Hey I know this comment isn't on topic for this video but what do you think of the January 6th riots by Republicans vs the coastal city riots by democrats in 2016 when Hillary lost? Am I fabricating memories but did Hillary not also call out Trump for having cheated the election in some way and practically instigate riots? Idk it feels like the same people screeching at Trump today were out on the streets shooting fireworks and turning over cars when trump was elected, and now they're saying Trump and Republicans don't believe in democracy
While Hilary initially said that the election was stolen she conceded it the next day.
The problem is this will never change as long as they are biggest game company in the world. And honestly I would rather support them than fcking blizzard. For me they are atleast the lesser evil in this hellish space. It is unfortunate but this is all that we have.
Why would "not supporting riot" would mean you would need to support blizzard?
I would rather become a drill rapper than picking between riot and blizzard