One League // Roland Thomas

We’ve met with Roland at MSI 2023, where he reflected on the importance of League to meet new friends and how the event got them to share a great IRL moment.
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“My name’s Roland and I’m from Southeast London.

I do games programming at university and I'm a little bit older than other students so people aren't really social on my course, but one thing we have found in common is League of Legends. We’ve connected through the game and I've made so many friends and connections now because it just kind of brings everyone together. I’m here today with them and super happy, and that wouldn't have happened without League. They're from further outside of London too so they've traveled here to be together and again it’s League that’s made that happen. It’s unreal. 

I’ve loved the events being in London since I went to Worlds in 2014. Being able to see the games in person is just so much different than online or on a stream. I think online, people can be separated which can sometimes cause more critical kind of mentalities, but in person a lot of people tend to find that we all have the same love of the game in common which actually can just bring us all together. Like, I’m an ADC main so I really idolize Rekkles because he kind of brought that to the masses. I love my Cassiopeia and Asol though… Dragon to the skies!

The community here is so diverse. Wherever I go, I see people of different ages and different races, so not everyone talks to each other per se, but you see someone with a team hat on here or there and just immediately know you've got something in common and something to talk about. You’re here to enjoy the game you really love where everyone's kind of on the same vibe and it's just, really fun! The atmosphere is amazing too. In 2014 when I came to Worlds, the TSM chant was really popular. I started a chant all by myself shouting ‘TSM TSM’, and the whole stadium started to chant and that really was a moment of pride for me. You can't replicate that online or anywhere because the crowd and everyone in the stadium gets behind you whether you're winning or losing because everyone's just really excited to be there. Afterwards, I followed it up by chanting ‘KFC KFC’, and then the whole stadium was chanting KFC as well! Loved it!”

Name: Roland Thomas 

Hometown: Woolwich, London

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