I remember it clearly: when I started playing League of Legends back in 2009. The game had just come out, and even though the graphics were simpler and the gameplay was a bit different from what I was used to, you could already feel that it had something special. But there was a big problem: I lived in Brazil, and the server was in North America. That meant the dreaded "ping" was always super high, which made a huge difference in how the game played out.
I was used to seeing my ping around 200ms, sometimes even hitting 300ms. And for those who’ve played online games, you know how much that messes things up. Every action you made had this little delay. You’d click to move your character, and it would take a few milliseconds to react. And during fights, it was even worse. Playing with this delay was like trying to run with your legs tied together. I remember playing Thresh, a champion I really like, trying to land a hook (his Q ability), but by the time I launched it, the enemy was already long gone. It was frustrating.
In teamfights, things got even more chaotic. Those moments when everyone was using their abilities at once were a mess for those of us playing with high ping. While others seemed to be playing in real time, I always felt like I was a step behind. I’d click to use my abilities, but by the time the game registered it, everything had already changed, and I couldn’t react fast enough. A lot of times, that meant losing the fight, and the frustration was real.
But despite all of this, the Brazilian community was huge. Everyone was playing, dealing with the same struggles. We shared tips on forums about how to reduce ping, how to use VPNs, or tweak your PC settings. Some players tried everything, even switching internet providers, but the truth was, for most of us, the ping stayed high no matter what we did.
Back then, dreaming of a Brazilian server was something we all wanted. But at the same time, it felt far off. I remember everyone asking Riot Games to create a server in Brazil, talking about how hard it was to play with that delay. We even joked that if we could play well with that ping, playing without it would be a piece of cake.
The big turning point came in 2012, when they finally launched the Brazilian server. Logging in for the first time and seeing my ping at 10ms or 20ms, I could hardly believe it. It felt like I was playing a whole new game. Abilities came out on time, movements were instant, and I could finally hit my plays with precision. It felt like all that time dealing with high ping was training, and now, with everything working, playing became so much easier. It was an amazing feeling.
This change brought more than just better gameplay. The local server helped the community grow even more, with tournaments popping up and the competitive scene really taking off. Nowadays, playing with low ping is just normal, but those who played back in 2009 remember just how tough and frustrating it was. I'll never forget what it was like trying to play with that crazy high ping and how good it felt when things finally changed.
Now, every time I log into a game and see my low ping, there's a sense of relief. But there's also a bit of pride in knowing I went through that rough period and kept playing, despite all the obstacles. After all, every win with that painful ping had a special sense of accomplishment.
I was used to seeing my ping around 200ms, sometimes even hitting 300ms. And for those who’ve played online games, you know how much that messes things up. Every action you made had this little delay. You’d click to move your character, and it would take a few milliseconds to react. And during fights, it was even worse. Playing with this delay was like trying to run with your legs tied together. I remember playing Thresh, a champion I really like, trying to land a hook (his Q ability), but by the time I launched it, the enemy was already long gone. It was frustrating.
In teamfights, things got even more chaotic. Those moments when everyone was using their abilities at once were a mess for those of us playing with high ping. While others seemed to be playing in real time, I always felt like I was a step behind. I’d click to use my abilities, but by the time the game registered it, everything had already changed, and I couldn’t react fast enough. A lot of times, that meant losing the fight, and the frustration was real.
But despite all of this, the Brazilian community was huge. Everyone was playing, dealing with the same struggles. We shared tips on forums about how to reduce ping, how to use VPNs, or tweak your PC settings. Some players tried everything, even switching internet providers, but the truth was, for most of us, the ping stayed high no matter what we did.
Back then, dreaming of a Brazilian server was something we all wanted. But at the same time, it felt far off. I remember everyone asking Riot Games to create a server in Brazil, talking about how hard it was to play with that delay. We even joked that if we could play well with that ping, playing without it would be a piece of cake.
The big turning point came in 2012, when they finally launched the Brazilian server. Logging in for the first time and seeing my ping at 10ms or 20ms, I could hardly believe it. It felt like I was playing a whole new game. Abilities came out on time, movements were instant, and I could finally hit my plays with precision. It felt like all that time dealing with high ping was training, and now, with everything working, playing became so much easier. It was an amazing feeling.
This change brought more than just better gameplay. The local server helped the community grow even more, with tournaments popping up and the competitive scene really taking off. Nowadays, playing with low ping is just normal, but those who played back in 2009 remember just how tough and frustrating it was. I'll never forget what it was like trying to play with that crazy high ping and how good it felt when things finally changed.
Now, every time I log into a game and see my low ping, there's a sense of relief. But there's also a bit of pride in knowing I went through that rough period and kept playing, despite all the obstacles. After all, every win with that painful ping had a special sense of accomplishment.
