China’s League of Legends Pro League is set to proceed without an English broadcast for 2024 according to former caster and personality Christopher “MonteCristo” Mykles, leaving English-speaking fans of one of the esports’ most competitive leagues in the dark just months out from the next season.
MonteCristo revealed the news on Nov. 18 just hours prior to the Worlds 2023 grand final in Seoul, South Korea, highlighting the existing production had been “canceled” and Riot Games had not yet established a broadcast to replace it. “[It’s] sad that one of, if not the best, leagues in the world might be less accessible,” MonteCristo said.
He added Riot’s Stryker facility in Dublin—first announced in 2021—may take control of coverage remotely going forward but with just a few months of leeway before the 2024 season starts up, there may be no time before the Mid-Season Invitational unless Riot had been working on a solution in the interim.
MonteCristo, alongside casting partner Erik “DoA” Lonnquist, provided English coverage and commentary of the LCK throughout the mid-to-late 2010s. As such, he is familiar with the importance of an English broadcast for the Eastern League regions and hopes a solution can be found. “This is a shitty situation for everyone, Riot HQ included,” MonteCristo said. “It is not their fault, but rather the Chinese stakeholders at the LPL.”
Alex “Nymaera” Hapgood, a freelance color caster who worked for the LPL English broadcast team this year, provided more insight on the announcement which has “come as a shock to us all.” They added that while the workload throughout the LPL Summer Split this year was “insane,” they were happy with the broadcast and today’s announcement was a little out of the blue.
“We worked remotely this year with our own kit, but Spring, Summer, and regional finals were cast from [the] arena in China,” Nymaera said. “I hope we get a chance to show that effort and passion again next year too in some form.”
Fans and players are unimpressed with the news, especially given it comes on Worlds’ Championship Sunday with LPL’s on Weibo Gaming taking to the Gocheok Sky Dome against hometown favorites T1. A loss of English coverage for one of the top leagues in the world would be devastating to the scene and its community.
It’s also another blow on Worlds 2023 finals day with the rumor coming alongside news the LCS is reportedly set to be downsized for next year. Here’s hoping a resolution for LPL fans at the very least is found before the Spring Split kicks off in early 2024.
Published: Nov 19, 2023 01:59 am