Oceanic Pro League (OPL), the first professional League of Legends eSports league down under, began last night. The Oceanic Pro League will see eight teams battle it out over a 7-week split.
Three League of Legends eSports leagues in the Oceanic Region
The league is one of three established by Riot Games this year, with the other two being the Challenger Series (a way for teams to fight their way into, or maintain their position in, the Pro League) and the free-for-all Open Ladder.
The top five teams in the Oceanic Pro League will remain in the league with the bottom 3 will need to defend their position from those in the Challenger Series.
Former champion team Legacy opened the League of Legends professional season last night against the Chiefs, but were unable to take the win for the opening of the OPL.
Each split offers the opportunity to win $32,000 and players will receive an additional $100 ‘match fee’ for each game played. The top five finishers will keep their spots for the next split, while the bottom three will have to defend their OPL membership in the Challenger Series.
“We have some amazing talent in this region and they are only going to get better in a professional league,” explains Daniel Ringland, esports manager, Riot Games Oceania.
“Our ultimate goal is to see an Oceanic team win at Worlds,” adds Ben de Rider, esports Co-ordinator, Riot Games Oceania. “We’re not on the same level as some of the larger regions yet, but you should never underestimate a bunch of Aussies and Kiwis.”
The Split 1 Champion of the OPL will be heading to Turkey to represent Oceania in the International Wildcard Invitational. Victory in Istanbul would secure them a place in the Mid-Season Invitational against the best teams from leagues in North America (NA LCS), Europe (EU LCS), China (LPL), Korea (LCK), and Taiwan (LMS).
The champion of Split 2, running from May to August, will be representing Oceania in the Wildcard Qualifier for a place at the World Championships.
OPL matches for Split 1 will be broadcast live on Mondays and Thursdays from 6pm AEDT, with the first round last night on Thursday February 5 available through one of the official Riot Games Twitch Channels.
ROUND 1 SCHEDULE
| Monday February 9 | Matchup |
| 6pm AEDT | Avant Garde vs Dire Wolves |
| 7pm approx. | Rich Gang vs Avant Garde |
| 8pm approx. | Dire Wolves vs Team Immunity |
| 9pm approx. | Team Immunity vs Rich Gang |
Results from Draw 1 Round 1 last night
- Legacy v Chiefs – Chiefs
- 4Not v Legacy – Legacy
- Chiefs v Sudden Fear – Chiefs
- Sudden Fear v 4Not – Sudden Fear
You can see all the matches at www.twitch.tv/riotgamesoceania.
If you’re looking to get into Riot’s popular game, check out our League of Legends early game item guide for some basics.
