Riot Games confirms downsizing of North American League of Legends League
Riot Games has confirmed rumors that the North American League of Legends league will downsize from 10 to eight teams in 2024.
Golden Guardians and Evil Geniuses will exit the LCS, as announced by Riot here. This leaves their former players free to explore their options during the current offseason and may lead to employees seeking new opportunities in the esports industry.
2024 LCS Season without Golden Guardians and Evil Geniuses
Just shortly after capturing record-breaking viewership in the finals of the 2023 World Championship this weekend, the League ecosystem is taking a hit as one of its major regions sees its participants cut down. The 2024 season for the LCS will start without Golden Guardians or EG, and no other organizations will replace them. Riot’s president of esports, John Needham, confirmed that both organizations had terminated their “team participating agreements” (TPA) and settled with Riot. The transactions were recently finalized.
The two teams had different reasons for discontinuing their arrangements. Golden Guardians’ parent company, the Golden State Warriors, has chosen to focus its resources on a more traditional sports venture: basketball. Meanwhile, EG’s public financial struggles this past year have forced the organization to halt its participation in the LCS.
Questions arise as LCS format and new organizations are debated
The departures of these teams raise many questions, such as whether the LCS format will undergo changes and if there are other organizations ready to claim a spot in the North American League’s franchised league. While Riot discusses its next move, which according to Needham should be disclosed early next year, the players and staff of the departing teams are left to search for new homes before the season begins.
Riot has been rushing to finalize settlements with these organizations in order to allow the players to potentially be picked up by other teams before the 2024 season begins. However, the staff behind the scenes are left to fend for themselves. “They are employees of different organizations,” Needham said. “There’s no way for us to really intercede and do anything for those people, sadly.”
As all parties involved navigate this situation and consider the steps that can be taken for a smooth transition, LCS fans will have to adjust to the idea of their home region starting the 2024 season with fewer teams than the previous summer.
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