Riot Games appears willing to expand its League of Legends ecosystem outside its own borders, according to a spokesperson who responded to a report a Saudi-backed third-party tournament may be sanctioned for 2024.
A statement sent to journalist Jacob Wolf late in the evening on Jan. 2 outlined Riot’s supposed renewed stance on third-party tournaments for League, with the gaming giant possibly weakening its iron grip on the long-standing game’s competitive ecosystem in 2024. The decision allegedly came after Riot witnessed the major success of the 2022 Asian Games last September, which saw several Asian countries send representatives to Hangzhou, China, to compete in League, Dota 2, EA Sports FC, and a variety of other titles.
Originally thought only to be the Saudi-backed Esports World Cup offer, the Riot spokesperson revealed the esports unit was in talks with various other organizers for event licenses, possibly as early as this year. “We’ve been in conversations with various tournament organizers—including the Esports World Cup—about unlocking teams’ participation in such events,” the Riot spokesperson wrote.
As it stands, League teams are only permitted to participate in Riot-sanctioned leagues and events, such as regional splits, MSI, and the World Championships, with approval to attend other events needed. Riot must also issue an event license to the organizer, which comes with its own set of restrictions and (at least for major-tier events) is only granted in “exceptional circumstances.”
Should the Saudi-backed Savvy Gaming Group get its Esports World Cup wish, it’ll mean the first large-scale League tournament run outside of Riot since 2017’s Intel Extreme Masters Katowice, with teams thereafter locked into the ecosystem we know today.
A notable criticism of Riot’s handling of its League esports scene has been its lack of international LAN tournaments during each calendar year, with fans and players alike hungry for more between the major regional leagues. Opening up to third-party organizers once again felt like an inevitability outside of a major expansion on Riot’s part.
Time will tell whether the Saudi-backed Esports World Cup will secure a license before July 2024 or if another orga is willing to plan and run an international event this year.
Published: Jan 3, 2024 01:34 am