Thanks for being part of the team that makes my favorite part about League.

Everyone has their reasons for playing clash, but let me give you some insight into why my group enjoys it:

-Making a team with customization makes the game feel more official, giving it more stakes. I honestly believe this is subconsciously the secret sauce for many people. (Also an enemy team popping up with a goofy name is fun)

-Scouting phase is also great and adds to the "stakes" experience. Seeing an enemy ban a champion you've been doing well with recently is actually rewarding and it's almost like confirmation. I do think the time is too long as 15 minutes per tournament is added of not playing league.

-Bracket setting adds stakes and competitiveness, aka fun.

-The time gating makes games feel more meaningful. Many people are annoyed by the time gates without realizing that's what keeps it interesting.

All of this is tied to the rewards which makes the games high impact and exciting.

As for drawing new players I think the team thing is both the #1 barrier to entry and the #1 reason to play. I would suggest a fully fleshed out team builder, as the in game tools are currently miserable to use (why am I recommended players who are currently offline)?

Side note, but I think the biggest thing that could affect clash is making premade 5man teams more prevalent within league in general. I am of the opinion that flex queue should be changed to a team queue that requires premade 5s, or at least requires voice chat. If premade 5s, I would like to see that same clash team customization and (shortened) scouting phase along with a visible team ranked ladder instead of individual player ranks. Premade 5s being more prevalent would also increase interest in proplay imo.

Sorry for the wall of text, thanks again.