The Issue of Poaching in League of Legends
Every year, accusations of poaching arise in the world of professional League of Legends as players switch teams. Sometimes these accusations are valid, while other times they may be used as a negotiation tactic. The ambiguity surrounding Riot’s poaching rule and how it is enforced creates confusion for players, team owners, and fans. The recent controversy involving Echo Fox and Phoenix1 regarding support player Adrian Ma is a prime example.
Riot’s Clarification on Poaching
In an effort to bring clarity to the situation, Riot has released a document outlining what constitutes poaching under its guidelines. According to the document, all player contracts must be submitted to Riot for approval and added to the publicly available contract database. Only contracts in the database will be protected by Riot’s poaching rules. In the case of Adrian Ma, his contract had not yet been approved and added to the database when Echo Fox made their offer, so their solicitation was not considered poaching.
Unanswered Questions
However, the document fails to address certain crucial details. Riot has not clarified the timing of its contract review period or what happens during the interim period while a contract is under review. Another important aspect is the inclusion cutoff date/time for the database, which is a standard practice in most other sports leagues. These seemingly minor points regarding the effective date and status of contracts are significant when it comes to legal agreements. Riot’s involvement in this process raises concerns and adds to the confusion.
Improving the Contract Environment
Clarifying the rules on poaching is just the first step towards creating a better contract environment. Many players are still signing contracts without proper legal representation, and the absence of collective bargaining puts teams and Riot at an advantage, contradicting the typical structure of Western professional sports. There is still much work to be done by Riot, team owners, and players to establish a stable and sustainable foundation for League of Legends esports.
Riot did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication.
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esports, League of Legends, poaching, Riot, professional gaming, player contracts