Golden Guardians and Evil Geniuses Depart from North American League of Legends
In a surprising move, Golden Guardians and Evil Geniuses have announced their departure from the premier North American League of Legends league, leaving many LCS fans shocked. The news also caught the team members of Golden Guardians and EG off guard.
Eric “Licorice” Ritchie, the top laner who played for Golden Guardians in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, expressed his disappointment after receiving the news in the morning. This unexpected turn of events has thrown his plans to play for Golden Guardians in 2024 into complete disarray.
Expressing his frustration, Licorice stated, “My plan for next year was to play for GG again so as of right now I don’t have a team and will likely not be a starter in the LCS next year, since remaining teams have all locked top laners.” He is now actively seeking potential playing opportunities for next year while also considering working on the LCS broadcast.
Kelsey Moser, the head of the EG League coaching staff, expressed her disappointment in the late news. She mentioned that very few people were aware of the decision before the weekend.
According to the announcement made by Riot global esports head John Needham and the LCS, the timing of the news has left players without a fair opportunity to seek work elsewhere. This has posed a significant challenge for EG and Golden Guardians players as they receive the news so late. The official announcement was made only hours before the free agency window opens later today.
In an interview with Travis Gafford, Needham revealed that Riot and the organizations had been actively discussing the termination of the agreements for weeks before the official announcements. He cited the Golden State Warriors, the ownership group of Golden Guardians, wanting to focus on basketball, and EG’s well-documented public issues as the reasons for ending the agreements.
As a result of this decision, not only the players and coaches but also the staff and employees who worked on the League divisions for both organizations will have to find work elsewhere. The departure of Golden Guardians and Evil Geniuses marks their exit from League of Legends as a whole.
Related:
Ex-EG employees point to culture of crunch, overworked ‘skeleton crew’ as lead-up to layoffs
LCSPA rips Riot for ’11th hour decision-making’ after EG, Golden Guardians exits
LCS, esports news, League of Legends, Golden Guardians, Evil Geniuses, North American League of Legends, Licorice, Kelsey Moser, Riot, agreement termination, free agency window.