The craze sparked by "Ye Yu" reaching the top of the Challenger tier had not entirely subsided; the daily active users and community engagement of League of Legends remained at an astonishingly high level.
The ranked system, like a perpetual engine, drove players to constantly pursue higher individual glory.
However, beyond the pinnacle of individual skill, another desire, like magma surging beneath the earth, was seeking an outlet to erupt.
This desire stemmed from the game's most fundamental core—teamwork.
Even the most powerful individuals in high-tier ranked play increasingly relied on team coordination.
The joy of a five-person pre-made team was distinctly different from the solo play of random matches.
When five like-minded and highly coordinated players strived for a common goal, the cohesion and energy unleashed were incomparable to any individual heroism.
Players were no longer satisfied with accumulating ranked points; they craved a more formal, more focused stage to showcase their team's strength and experience the true meaning of "competition."
This undercurrent first found its breakthrough in places with the highest player density—internet cafes.
Jisu Internet Cafe, located in a second-tier city in the East China region, was one of the largest and best-equipped internet cafes in the area.
The owner, Zhao Qiang, was a shrewd businessman in his thirties and a loyal fan of League of Legends.
He keenly noticed this new demand from players and also saw the business opportunities it contained.
"Old Zhang, what do you think about us organizing our own League of Legends internet cafe tournament?" Zhao Qiang clapped the shoulder of the internet cafe manager, Old Zhang, and excitedly pointed to the main area, almost entirely occupied by League of Legends players, "Look at these guys, they're always playing five-man teams, yelling and screaming.
Let's give them a stage to really go at it!"
Old Zhang hesitated, "Boss, can this work? Organizing a tournament is quite troublesome—registration, format, referees, prizes..."
"What's there to be afraid of!" Zhao Qiang waved his hand, "For prizes, we'll use internet cafe credit and peripherals! For the format, we'll do the simplest single-elimination, finished in two days over the weekend!
Let's build up the momentum first!
You quickly make a poster and post it on the local forums and game groups!"
No sooner said than done.
A few days later, a slightly rough but clearly informative poster appeared in the announcements of local game forums and various League of Legends QQ groups:
[Jisu Internet Cafe's 1st "Strongest Team" League of Legends Championship is now open for registration!]
It's time to show your true skills! Summon your comrades and conquer the peak of Jisu!
Champion's Reward: 5000 RMB cash + 500 RMB internet cafe credit per person + Razer keyboard and mouse set!
Registration Location: Jisu Internet Cafe Front Desk
The poster also included a promotional image of Summoners Rift from the game's official website, along with the prominent words "5V5 Team Competition."
Initially, Zhao Qiang was unsure, not knowing how many teams would respond.
However, the situation after registration began far exceeded his expectations.
Less than half a day after the poster was released, the front desk was inundated with calls and players coming to register!
Local players seemed to have found an outlet, calling friends and forming teams to sign up.
There were student teams from nearby universities, "elderly casual teams" formed by local office workers, and even some netizens who met in ranked play and specifically formed offline teams to participate...
In just three days, more than sixteen teams had registered!
Zhao Qiang was both surprised and delighted, immediately increasing promotional efforts and designating a special competition area within the internet cafe.
On the day of the competition, Jisu Internet Cafe was bustling with people and incredibly lively.
Contestants were eager to start, and spectators were packed three deep, creating an atmosphere comparable to a small festival.
Although the organization was slightly chaotic and the rules were not strict, the pure, offline, and passionate competitive atmosphere infected everyone present.
Some participants recorded their team's match highlights, the lively atmosphere on-site, especially the thrilling moments of the back-and-forth final match, culminating in a decisive team fight, using their phones.
They then added exciting music and uploaded them to short video platforms and the player sharing section of the League of Legends official forum.
The title was down-to-earth: "[RECORD] Our small-city internet cafe tournament, how good was this team fight?"
The video quality wasn't high, and the camera was a bit shaky, but it was precisely this raw authenticity that perfectly captured the unique charm of offline events: the players' focused expressions, their gasps of tension, their high-fives and hugs after winning, the spectators' exclamations and cheers...
This video, like a spark, quickly spread throughout the player community.
"Wow! Offline matches feel amazing!"
"This is what esports should look like! Much more exciting than ranked play!"
"I'm jealous, why don't we have this here?"
"This team fights coordination is good, it has a professional team vibe!"
"The internet cafe boss is awesome!"
Countless players left comments under the video, expressing their longing for such offline events and their desire for similar activities to be held in their own cities...
Riot Games, President's Office.
Qin Feng was browsing the daily community hot topic report compiled by the marketing department.
Soon, the video link of the "small-city internet cafe tournament" caught his attention.
He clicked on the video, watched the slightly crude but passionate footage, and listened to the familiar game sound effects and the shouts of the players on-site, a smile unconsciously forming on his lips.
It was a long-lost, familiar feeling.
This was the most primitive and purest form of esports, vitality that naturally grew from the player base.
It wasn't as grand and precise as the professional leagues he planned, but it was full of wild energy and sincere passion.
"A single spark can start a prairie fire..." Qin Feng murmured to himself, a sharp glint in his eyes.
He realized that this was not just a spontaneous entertainment activity by players.
This was a signal, a sign—the competitive ecosystem of League of Legends had developed to a stage that required offline events as a foundation and an elevation.
The official professionalization process needed to advance steadily, but these grassroots, amateur events were equally indispensable and the most solid foundation of the esports pyramid.
They could penetrate a broader market, attracting talent and passion from the lowest levels.
It must be encouraged!
Qin Feng immediately called in the heads of the marketing and operations departments.
"Have you seen this 'Jisu Internet Cafe' tournament?" Qin Feng pointed to the video on the screen.
"Yes, Mr. Qin, the data feedback is very good, and player discussion is very high."
"Very good." Qin Feng decisively ordered, "On behalf of the official organization, post an announcement on that video thread and our official social media accounts, stating that we have noticed this tournament and extend our appreciation and encouragement to the organizers and all participating players."
He paused, then threw out an even more significant decision:
"Furthermore, on behalf of Riot Games, we announce sponsorship of this 'Jisu Internet Cafe League of Legends Championship'!"
"Sponsorship?" The head of the marketing department was stunned, "Mr. Qin, this is just a small local internet cafe tournament..."
"Precisely because it's small, it needs support even more!" Qin Feng's tone was firm, "We want all players to see that the official organization is constantly paying attention to their passion and creativity!
Sponsorship content: First, an additional five thousand RMB cash prize for the champion team; second, an exclusive in-game icon and limited skin (7-day trial card) as a participation reward for all participating players (with registration records); third, official media channels will report on this event, and the champion team will be invited for a simple online interview!"
This decision was quickly implemented.
Soon, the League of Legends official account posted a gleaming official reply below the player's video:
"Summoners, you are amazing! We saw the League of Legends tournament hosted by 'Jisu Internet Cafe' and felt the fiery competitive atmosphere and everyone's love for the game!
On behalf of Riot Games, we extend our highest respect to the organizers and all participants!
To encourage this valuable esports passion, we have decided to sponsor this event, doubling the champion's prize money!
All participants will receive exclusive official rewards!
We look forward to seeing more grassroots esports brilliance in the future! Fight on, Summoners!"
At the same time, the official Weibo and website also simultaneously released this news.
The official move was like pouring a barrel of hot oil on a bonfire!
The player community completely exploded!
"The official organization is awesome! So down-to-earth!"
"Holy cow! The champion's prize money is ten thousand! Is the official organization sponsoring an internet cafe tournament? Unheard of!"
"Exclusive icons and skins! I'm crying with envy! Why don't we have this here!"
"Jisu Internet Cafe is famous now!"
"Brothers, let's team up! We'll organize a tournament too! Maybe we'll get noticed by the official organization!"
Zhao Qiang, the owner of Jisu Internet Cafe, was stunned when he received an official contact confirming the sponsorship news, followed by immense ecstasy.
He never dreamed that his small internet cafe tournament could attract direct attention and significant sponsorship from the game's official organization!
This was undoubtedly the greatest affirmation of his vision and courage, and his internet cafe's name would echo throughout the national player community with this wave of popularity.
He immediately announced the good news, and the tournament's atmosphere and attention soared again.
Qin Feng looked at the enthusiastic comments from players under the official announcement and the rapidly climbing discussion hotness, nodding with satisfaction.
He had successfully cast a feeler and also sent a clear signal to all players: the official organization encourages and supports the development of grassroots events.
This vast grassroots soil will undoubtedly provide the richest nutrients for the towering trees of future professional leagues.
The grassroots spark has been ignited, and the official torch is about to be held high.