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It has been more than a year since the announcement of the North American League of Legends Championship Series Player’s Association (NALCSPA). Now, before the 2018 Summer Split, the NALCSPA seems to be gaining more traction within the League esports scene.

What is the NALCSPA?

Many people are not familiar with the NALCSPA, and for good reason. The Player’s Association (PA) lacked a public spotlight for quite some time. The North American LCS brought in the NALCSPA with league franchising back in June 2017. An update on the PA was promised by Riot Games in August. However, this update did not occur until September 2017. Finally, after a long year, the NALCSPA is showing signs of life. The PA gives players a voice in league decisions and provides players with services such as agents and financial advisors. A player’s association is essential to any league, whether it be an esport or a traditional sport.

“It’s our goal to represent the interests and well being of NA LCS and LCS Academy pro players by providing access to information, counsel and the opportunity to voice feedback and action change.” said the Association on their newly created Twitter account.

Who makes up the NALCSPA?

Hal Biagas, former National Basketball Player’s Association assistant general counsel, leads the NALCSPA. At the time of his appointment, he stated:

I had the opportunity to present to the players last week, and thought it went really well. They asked a lot of really good questions about what this would all mean for them. And here I am. I guess I answered [the questions] pretty well. I think there will be some new and different challenges -with any new venture there’s always some unanticipated challenges that you have to address, but I don’t think it’s anything that myself and the players won’t be prepared for and be able to surmount fairly easily.

Travis Gafford also recently interviewed Biagas on the plans for the Player’s Association here:

To represent the voice of the players, the PA needs to identify engaged voices within the league. Therefore, pro players will elect who will become reps for the rest of the league. So look out, you may see your favorite players be the representatives of their peers.

This player’s association is a first of its kind in the esports scene. It seems like other leagues, such as the ones found in Overwatch and CS:GO, are also vying for their own player’s associations.

What do you think about the NALCSPA? How impactful could it be for players through the league? Let us know your thoughts below.