In the fast-paced world of esports, where precision, speed, and strategy play pivotal roles, Team Liquid, a powerhouse with over 160 professional players in more than 15 games, has embraced SAP Business AI to enhance their competitive edge. With a significant following of more than 10 million across social media and a history of over 75 major wins, Team Liquid's strategic integration of SAP's advanced analytics represents a significant evolution in esports competition.

 

Optimizing Team Strategy with Advanced AI

In the intensely strategic League of Legends, where teams battle out by selecting from a roster of 166 champions, the pre-match draft is crucial. Each team picks and bans champions, aiming to assemble a superior strategic lineup while disrupting the opponent's game plan. Traditionally, preparing for these drafts involved painstaking manual analysis of potential opponent strategies and champion statistics, a time-consuming process prone to error.

 

However, with SAP's AI-driven tools, Team Liquid can now automate and refine this process. By analyzing over 6,000 professional matches and incorporating data from 1.6 million amateur games, SAP AI Core helps Team Liquid quickly generate the most effective draft strategies. This system adapts to ongoing game updates and patches, ensuring strategies are always based on the latest game dynamics.

 

The Impact of SAP on Team Liquid's Preparation

Utilizing SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) and storing data on SAP HANA Cloud, Team Liquid has developed a sophisticated draft bot. This tool not only suggests optimal picks and bans but also calculates real-time winning probabilities during the drafting phase. This instant strategic insight allows Team Liquid to adapt dynamically to unfolding draft scenarios, significantly enhancing their decision-making process.

 

The AI draft bot simulates numerous potential match setups, enabling coaches and players to engage in effective what-if analyses. This preparation has dramatically reduced the time spent on manual preparations, saving approximately 10,000 hours annually, allowing more time for gameplay improvement and strategy refinement.

 

Blending Fun with Strategic Business Intelligence

The collaboration between Team Liquid and SAP illustrates a seamless fusion of esports fun and strategic business intelligence. This partnership not only elevates Team Liquid's game performance but also sets a new standard in how esports teams can leverage technology for competitive advantage.

 

Philipp Herzig, SAP's Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, notes the transformative impact of this integration, highlighting how business AI tools can extend beyond traditional business applications to support high-stakes, fast-paced environments like esports. Through this innovative approach, Team Liquid not only gains a strategic edge but also paves the way for future advancements in the esports industry.