LCK resorts to offline server to stay clear of DDoS attacks
League of Legends’ top pro league, LCK, is moving to an offline server as a last bid to ward off DDoS attacks.
In the highly competitive League of Legends esports scene, fast-paced decision-making and reaction time matter the most. However, during the last week of February, pro players in the South Korean tournament LCK experienced constant ping spikes and connection issues.
Upon thorough investigation, LCK identified DDoS attacks and hacking attempts on the Korean LoL server as the root cause of the persistent connectivity issues. Faced with the severe consequences of these disruptions, the tournament took a temporary measure, transitioning to pre-recorded broadcasts of the games, with the hope of returning to live matches in the near future.
However, the migration to non-live broadcasting is not the end of LCK’s DDoS tale. The attacks significantly impacted viewership, prompting LCK to take a more drastic measure. They resolved to migrate to an offline server, which they hope will not only ward off DDoS attacks but also restore their usual broadcasting and viewership levels.
As part of the security measures to protect against DDoS attacks, the #LCK has recently introduced an offline game server to LoL PARK that is not influenced by external networks.
The LCK’s Secretary General Aiden Lee has shared more on this news through the message in the… pic.twitter.com/anEDUZpPdM
LCK admits oversight on DDoS attacks in online servers
In their announcement addressing the issue, LCK explains that they initially chose online servers due to their significantly lower costs. Moreover, having an online server lets the tournament be up to date with the latest League of Legends patch without much issue.
Moreover, LCK lists the success of online tournaments held during the pandemic among those who influenced their decision to host the LCK Regular Season online.
South Korea is famous for having one of the most reliable internet speeds in the world, which LCK also lists among the reasons for their online-based tournament servers. They explain that “single-digit ping is natural to them when playing LoL.”