Comments by Riot Games President highlight disconnect with esports scene
Riot Games co-founder and president, Marc Merrill, has come under fire for his comments on the esports scene. In a Reddit post, Merrill criticized Team SoloMid owner, Andy “Reginald” Dinh, for blaming Riot for the volatility of the esports industry. Merrill’s comments were seen as tone deaf and out of touch.
Team SoloMid owner responds to Merrill’s comments
Dinh hit back at Merrill, stating that he already pays his players well and has invested in developing his team and franchise. Dinh also pointed out that other orgs have made more money from esports like Counter-Strike than Team SoloMid has from League of Legends. Former LCS team owner, Christopher “MonteCristo” Mykles, also chimed in with a video response, criticizing Merrill’s statement from an ownership perspective.
Teams and Riot Games at odds over revenue growth
The issue at hand is the need for League of Legends to generate more revenue in order to attract investment and promote growth. Merrill believes that teams should reinvest their earnings into the scene, while team owners argue that Riot Games is hindering revenue growth. Dinh believes that Riot needs to create systems to support stability and encourage investment.
Riot Games’ role in hindering revenue growth
Riot Games’ failure to monetize its broadcast rights and activate additional revenue streams is a major obstacle in the growth of the League of Legends scene. The control exerted by Riot Games over its production prevents teams and players from benefiting financially. This is pushing teams to diversify into other esports like Counter-Strike and Overwatch, where there are more opportunities for revenue generation.
Riot Games, esports, League of Legends, Marc Merrill, Team SoloMid, revenue growth, investment, broadcast rights, obstacle, diversify