But until a player has a new team, a lot happens behind the scenes. According to the rulebook, the transfer window this year officially began on November 16.

However, decisions about player changes are often made before then. “During the – Season , many teams have fixed dates when they extend or don’t extend a player,” said MAD Lions’ Head of Player Development Patrick “Pad” Suckow-Breum in an interview with Deutsche Presse-Agentur. Whether a team signs a new player is usually determined at the end of the year, he said.

Data is the key to success

Organizations then look for players that fit the established style of play and team. Data and statistics are often at the forefront of this process. In doing so, it’s important to match the statistics with the actual style of play, Pad said. “We look at more than 20 games to see if someone is the player we are looking for.” It’s a similar process at Team Vitality, said their co-founder Fabien “Neo” Devide.

Contacting them differs depending on player status. “When you’re under contract, all conversations have to go through your own team,” said Toplaner Finn “Finn” Wiestål of Excel in an interview with dpa. “As a free agent, you’re responsible for the process yourself.” Meanwhile, many of the pro players also work with agencies that handle communications and contract negotiations.

MAD Lions without tryouts

If a player has aroused the interest of organizations, an invitation to so-called tryouts (trial trainings) often follows.

“It’s usually the case that a team has interest in several players in different roles and will have them compete either against each other or against other teams that are also conducting tryouts,” Finn said. The duration of these tryouts can range from a few days to several weeks.

MAD Lions is taking a different approach, with the defending LEC champions forgoing tryouts in the selection process. “You’re going to have a completely different player in front of you,” Pad says, explaining the decision. In tryouts, he says, it’s easy to hide mistakes. “That usually gives you a false idea of what the player is really like.”

Decision with the whole team

The rest of the application process is also different. While MAD conducts extended interviews, for Excels Head Coach Joey “YoungBuck” Steltenpool, the focus is on game practice. “The best part is seeing how a player plays and how they conduct themselves in conversations during the game.” Still, meeting with team officials is standard, Finn said. “I always think of it as an open conversation because I ask questions, too.”

At the final stage, management does make budgetary decisions, but the final decision on a player is usually made by the head coach. Existing players, however, are often involved in the process. “They get an added sense of synergy during the game,” YoungBuck says. Pad says that’s insight the coaching staff simply doesn’t have.

Turbulent time for teams and players

In the final step, Riot’s players and teams still have to be checked for their eligibility to play. Among other things, this involves checking whether players have engaged in toxic behavior on their accounts, Pad said. That’s why under many team announcements are the words “pending Riot approval.” Once the check is done, players will be added to the Global Contract Database, which is open to the public.

In the whole process, however, not everything always goes smoothly. It’s not just the organizations that struggle with deadlines and decisions during the off- Season . “It’s a very turbulent time for a lot of players because there’s a lot of uncertainty. You have no real idea what’s going to happen,” Finn describes the situation.