Riot Games Officials Furious with LCS Player Walkout
Reports from behind the scenes suggest that league officials at Riot Games are extremely unhappy with the ongoing LCS player walkout. According to independent journalist Richard Lewis, Riot is furious with the situation, and they have even started threatening major fines and the loss of North American franchise slots for teams that fail to field League of Legends rosters in the Summer Split. This only adds to the existing challenges faced by the esports venture, which has been experiencing a decline in viewership and revenue.
Riot’s Warning to Organizations
According to Lewis, Riot has already warned organizations that their inability to field a team will result in a reassessment of their membership. While this evaluation may not immediately result in teams being kicked out, the message from Riot is clear: comply or risk losing your share of the pie.
Immediate Requests and Season Opener Delay
Following the warning, at least two LCS organizations requested to place administrative staff in playing rosters for the first week of the 2023 LCS Summer Split. However, Riot decided to delay the season opener by two weeks, pushing it to June 15.
The LCS Walkout and its Background
The player walkout, led by the LCSPA, has been in the works behind the scenes for several weeks. This organized movement gained massive support from players after Riot’s decision on May 7 to make participation in the NACL (the second tier of NA League) optional for LCS organizations.
At present, all LCS stars have stepped down from play in support of the walkout.
Possible Consequences and Meeting with LCSPA
In addition to warning teams about the potential loss of their franchise spots, Riot has publicly suggested that further delays to the competition could lead to the cancellation of the Summer Split and North America’s exclusion from Worlds. has reached out to Riot officials for comment on this suggestion but has received no response. Despite plans for a meeting between Riot and the LCSPA, no information has been released apart from the sudden delay in the competition.
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