LCS Scouting Grounds Circuit arrives, partnering Riot and FACEIT

Competitive gaming platform FACEIT and Riot Games have announced their partnering for the 2019 LCS Scouting Grounds Circuit.

Starting in July, registered amateur teams will have a chance to compete for a spot at the LCS Scouting Grounds event later in the year and a shot at the event’s $60,000 prize pool.

The multi-stage tournament will run for three months and will be divided into ten separate online events. The top two teams are qualifying for Scouting Grounds, to take place between November 11 and November 16 at the LCS studio in California.

“Our partnership with FACEIT to provide the Scouting Grounds Circuit allows top amateur teams the opportunity to qualify for our scouting event through the old ‘5 players and a dream’ model that we used to see through our historic Open Qualifier and Promotion Tournaments,” LCS commissioner Chris Greeley said.

FACEIT and Riot are partnering up with multiple amateur leagues that will now migrate to the FACEIT matchmaking servers. The developer also encouraged amateur tournament organizers and teams to keep working together to create a more stable amateur scene.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Riot Games and to have the opportunity to be a part of the development of one of the most dynamic and exciting competitive scenes right now in North American League of Legends,” FACEIT co-founder and CEO Michele Attisani said.

The circuit is meant to bring a new influx of young domestic talent to the LCS. Individual players can qualify to Scouting Grounds through solo queue, and the selection process starts on June 12. This year, only the top two players on each role will earn a spot at the event. Other spots will be distributed to players who qualify through the Scouting Grounds Circuit tournament series.