Adelaide’s Esports team Legacy claimed the Oceanic Premier League in League of Legends

Adelaide now has another title to add to its two AFL premierships and two AFLW flags, with its Esports team Legacy winning the Oceanic Premier League.

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The Adelaide Crows’ venture into Esports has resulted in its first championship after its Legacy franchise took out the Oceanic Premier League’s League of Legends competition.

After finishing bottom of the table the previous year Legacy capped a fine year-long rise by becoming OPL champions for the first time in Friday’s grand final.

Legacy, purchased by the Crows nearly three-years-ago, claimed a 3-1 victory over the Dire Wolves.

On Twitter, Crows chief operations officer Nigel Smart, who is also the club’s project lead for Legacy, said he was “super proud of the boys”.

Usually Legacy would now get invited to the Mid Season Invitational, to be held in China, but this is unclear because of the coronavirus pandemic.

So cool 😎 @RaesOCE https://t.co/KiCs5hGSGV

— Nigel Smart (@Nigel_Smart) April 24, 2020

It comes as more AFL players are streaming themselves playing games.

As sports try and find a way to connect with fans during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent shutdowns of competitions and leagues across the world more and more organisations are getting their athletes to turn to online streams.

English Premier League and Formula 1 stars have played off against some of their respective rivals on FIFA 20 and F1 2019.

At the time when they were scheduled to face off on the field the players of NRL clubs Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and West Tigers jumped on their consoles and played against each other on Fortnite.

Shown on Kayo and Fox Sports, defending Supercars champion Scott McLaughlan has been the man to catch in a virtual V8 series, while some of the world’s best darts players have been playing each other via online streaming.

Nick Percat, Supercar driver for Brad Jones Racing, competes as his dog Nelson looks on, during round 1 of the Supercars All Stars Eseries at Phillip Island and Monza. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

And in the UK the Grand National thoroughbred jumps race was digitally simulated, and bet on with real money.

The AFL as a competition made its first real venture into this space on Thursday when it launched the AFL Gamers Network.

It’s a new platform where players from across the league will join and stream their sessions on YouTube as they play a variety of games.

Fans will also be able to take part and interact with the players throughout the sessions.

Crows chief operating officer Nigel Smart, who is also the club’s project lead for its venture into Esports through the Legacy team, said to expect more AFL players streaming themselves playing games.

Crows chief operating officer Nigel Smart (left), picture with Nathan van Berlo (right), says we should get ready to see more AFL players streaming themselves playing games in COVID-19 imposed isolation. Picture: Mark Brake

“It’s happening now,” he said.

“There are AFL players and we have player ourselves in Rory Laird, Rory Atkins and a few of the younger players who all play games.

“Not many of the players are streaming which is usually on a platform like Twitch and you need all the equipment … but it isn’t too difficult.”

For this to happen though there needs to be a shift in the mindset of the players when they pick up the controllers.

“It’s more about the players moving away from being a gamer and playing for enjoyment but also streaming that game to an audience that you are conversing with,” Smart said.

“Mitch Robinson is one of the players in the AFL who also streams regularly playing Fortnight or Counterstrike and some of the players with this opportunity of a lack of sport, as well as clubs including Collingwood, are starting to build a presence on platforms such as Twitch.

“So players can stream themselves playing games and the audience can watch them,” Smart said.

“That will start to roll out over the next couple of weeks, you will start to see more and more of that happening.”

Brisbane Lions’ Mitch Robinson has been successful at streaming himself while playing games, and even plays Esports part time. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Esports Games Association Australia chief executive Mat Jessep said last month venturing into the gaming world would allow clubs and players to create additional platforms for sponsors, improve fan engagement and create opportunities to sell digital broadcast rights.

Smart said outside of players Legacy had also engaged streamers and influences to boost its reach.

“From an Esports view where there are opportunities we will look at them,” he said.

“We’ve moved into engaging streamers and influencers as part of Legacy’s portfolio.

“We have five or six streamers who promote and support our partners and the Legacy brand and it’s an area that we will continue to test out because people are watching these channels and doing it on a daily basis.”

Originally published as Adelaide’s Esports team Legacy claimed the Oceanic Premier League in League of Legends