What is Silver Scrapes? League Historical Term and Where It Comes From

What is Silver Scrapes? League Historical Term and Where It Comes From

Foo Zen-Wen

26 Nov, 2024, 17:03

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Last updated: 8 Apr, 2025, 23:36

Ever watch a series of professional League of Legends and this song just starts playing? Ever hear casters and the desk use the term ‘Silver Scrapes’? Considered by this point the national anthem (or the closest we’re going to get to one) for League of Legends, it’s a call to arms, a call for the crowd to begin that enchanting sea of lights as the stadium dims.

Worlds 2022 Chase Center Silver Scrapes
Worlds 2022. T1 vs DRX. Silver Scrapes. Credit: Filthy Coyote (YT)

Silver Scrapes: League of Legends (Accidental) Anthem

By this point of its history, the song has become synonymous with ‘Game 5’ of any Bo5 series. It evokes the emotions of overcoming final hurdles, the countless exciting conclusions to long-fought series. But how did it all begin?

How did Silver Scrapes come to be?

In 2012, in the 2nd year of competitive League of Legends, during the 2nd World Championship held in LA, California, Riot hadn’t quite nailed the production aspects to the degree they have now. It wasn’t always as polished as the recent World Championship finals in the O2 Arena, with a perfectly choreographed set, finished off with Linkin Park bringing the crowd to a roaring state.

In 2012, technical difficulties were the bane of the events and often took hours for Riot to solve. During one of the games, the break was nearly 2 hours long. To fill the silence, an EDM song was played on loop while a static screen displayed “League of Legends World Championship”.

Little did everyone know, by the time the break had ended, the song had etched itself into the minds and hearts of all watching.

Riot later went on record to state, “The Season 2 World Championship led the frontiers of esports expansion at the time and Silver Scrapes had evolved to be its anthem. As a tribute, whenever a Bo5 series reaches the last game, Silver Scrapes is to be played to commemorate how far esports has come and to celebrate the hype for the final game!

The Man Behind ‘Silver Scrapes’

Danny McCarthy was the composer behind ‘Silver Scrapes’ and the unknowing mind at the time who ended up playing a crucial role in forging League of Legends history for generations to come. His famous song continues to be played at every League of Legends event, domestic and international.

So, the next time you hear the familiar beat drops, steady yourself and revel in the hype and the history you and every other fan continues to partake in, more than a decade after its inception.

 

For the latest League of Legends news, follow Strafe Esports. Also follow the Strafe YouTube channel for exclusive interviews with your favorite players and coaches.

Featured Image Credit: Riot Games


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