The North American League of Legends scene has a new contender stepping onto Summoner’s Rift next year.
Up-and-coming esports organization Shopify Rebellion is joining the LCS in 2024 as one of the 10 franchised partners of the league, it announced today. The team also confirmed that it will be taking over TSM’s current slot in the league. Shopify Rebellion acquired TSM’s LCS spot for about $10 million, according to New York Times reporter Kellen Browning.
“Entering League of Legends—one of the largest esports titles, with a rich competitive history—felt like an obvious next step for us as we continue to grow our presence in esports,” Shopify Rebellion esports program development lead Dario “TLO” Wünsch said. “We’re excited to work with the former TSM roster and for them to compete in the LCS under the Shopify Rebellion banner.”
Shopify Rebellion has garnered global recognition through the organization’s efforts in multiple different esports, including StarCraft, Dota 2, Halo, Street Fighter, and Rocket League. The team is also home to one of the best VALORANT Game Changers rosters in the world, boasting multiple top-three finishes at international and domestic events over the last two years, including a second-place finish at the 2022 Game Changers Championship in Berlin.
The newcomers will, however, have to make some pretty big decisions during this offseason. Three of the four remaining players on TSM’s active roster have contracts that will expire this November, with jungler Lee “Bugi” Seong-yeop as the only player left with a contract until 2024. As a result, Shopify Rebellion must sign some free agents or re-sign the previous players to new deals.
This also means that TSM’s departure from the LCS has become official after the team announced its intentions to leave NA for another tier-one region this past May. As TSM leaves the league, the end of the road has come for one of League esports’ most iconic NA teams, which had been around since the organization formed back in 2011.
“The acquisition of our LCS slot is a milestone moment for TSM and the entire esports community, especially by a team that shares our passion for excellence and growth,” TSM CEO Andy “Reginald” Dinh said. “With the relentless pursuit of victory that has defined TSM, and the innovative spirit of Shopify Rebellion, we believe this move will ignite fresh success and further elevate the competitive landscape of esports.”
Over the course of the last decade, TSM has won seven LCS championships and a trophy at IEM Season Nine in Katowice, along with seven World Championship appearances and two Mid-Season Invitational appearances. For many years, the organization was the best in North America and was home to multiple current stars like Mingyi “Spica” Lu and Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng, along with retired icons like Heo “Huni” Seung-hoon and Søren “Bjergsen” Bjerg.
