North American League of Legends solo queue has been a hot topic over the past few years, with pros criticizing it for its many issues. But Cloud9’s Berserker recently defended it. In an interview with Korizon Esports on July 4, the Korean AD carry claimed Korean NA players use NA solo queue as “an excuse.”
“I think I’m just doing what I must do as a professional player. [Korean players in NA] say, ‘I can’t practice because the level of the solo queue is low.’ But it’s an excuse, really,” Berserker said.
He added there are many players that blast solo queue without playing it. “Let’s be honest, they don’t [play solo queue].”
NA solo queue has taken a lot of shots over the years. A few of the biggest problems have been high ping, worryingly low level of play, and the lack of skilled and pro players at the top of the rankings. All in all, these issues have labeled NA solo queue as somewhat impractical, which is a huge issue for the region.
In contrast, it’s widely known many pros from around the world travel to South Korea during the offseasons to practice their skills in the region’s solo queue thanks to its high level.
Berserker’s grind in NA seems to be working so far. C9 are on top of the standings of the 2023 LCS Summer Split alongside Evil Geniuses with a 7-2 record. The competition is expected to return on July 5.