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Tencent Dumps Epic Games Board Seats Following Department of Justice Concerns
Two directors from Epic Games resigned from the company’s board of directors in December 2024 following intervention by the United States Department of Justice.
- Two directors have resigned from the Epic Games board of directors following concerns from the U.S. Department of Justice regarding potential violations of Section 8 of the Clayton Act.
- The DOJ identified an illegal 'interlock' because Tencent, which holds a minority stake in Epic Games, is also the parent company of competitor Riot Games.
- To resolve the antitrust concerns, Tencent has amended its shareholder agreement with Epic Games to relinquish its unilateral right to appoint directors or observers to the board in the future.
Riot Games Opens Up to Gambling as a Sponsorship Category for Valorant, LoL Esports
Riot Games is expanding its commercial strategy by opening gambling as an approved sponsorship category for professional teams competing in its League of Legends and Valorant esports ecosystems.
- Riot Games is officially opening its League of Legends and Valorant esports ecosystems to gambling sponsorships, marking a significant shift in its long-standing policy.
- All potential betting partners will be subject to strict vetting and must comply with both Riot’s internal regulations and all relevant local legal and licensing requirements.
- Riot will maintain a 'gambling-free' status for its official broadcast channels for the time being, opting for a cautious and measured rollout of the new category.
Zeynep Gencaga Dechelotte Named Deputy Director of IOC Esports
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has appointed Zeynep Gencaga Dechelotte as the new deputy director of its esports division.
- Zeynep Gencaga Dechelotte was appointed deputy director of IOC Esports in November 2024 to help lead the organization's esports initiatives.
- Dechelotte previously served as senior esports director and head of regions at Ubisoft, and held business development roles at Riot Games Europe for over two years.
- The IOC has established a 12-year partnership with the Saudi Arabian government to host the Olympic Esports Games.
Teamfight Tactics Esports Comes to Paris in 2025
Riot Games has announced that Paris, France, will host its premier Teamfight Tactics (TFT) esports competition in 2025.
- Riot Games has announced that its largest Teamfight Tactics esports competition for 2025 will be held in Paris, France.
- While specific details for the Paris event remain undisclosed, it is expected to mirror the scale and scope of the 2024 TFT Macao Open.
- The 2024 TFT Macao Open, held from December 13–15, features a 512-competitor open-bracket LAN tournament.
Video Games Year in Review: Part 1, 2024
The first half of 2024 was defined by significant instability within the global video games industry, characterized primarily by widespread workforce reductions and corporate restructuring.
- The video game industry experienced significant workforce contraction in the first half of 2024, with layoffs exceeding the 10,000-person threshold seen in 2023 following major cuts at companies like Activision Blizzard, Unity, Riot, Twitch, Sony, and Electronic Arts.
- Strategic corporate restructuring and consolidation continued, highlighted by Embracer Group splitting into three separate business units and IGN acquiring the Gamer Network portfolio.
- Regulatory environments shifted globally, with European authorities enforcing the Digital Markets Act to open app store competition and Chinese regulators withdrawing proposed spending caps that had previously impacted giants like Tencent and NetEase.
TJ Sports Vice President Eric Feng on Why Valorant Asian Cup Is Important
The Valorant Radiant Asia Invitational (VRAI), hosted by TJ Sports in Chengdu, China, serves as a strategic initiative to bridge gaps in the regional esports calendar.
- TJ Sports is expanding the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) CN schedule in 2025, extending the season from its current January–August window to January–October.
- The Valorant Radiant Asia Invitational (VRAI) was established by TJ Sports to address the lack of competitive play during the four-month VCT off-season, with plans to scale the event in 2025.
- TJ Sports is evaluating strategies to increase VCT CN's Western influence in 2025, including the potential introduction of an official English broadcast or a partnership model for third-party co-streaming.
Riot Reveals Details on Valorant Champions Tour in 2025
Riot Games has unveiled the structural framework for the 2025 Valorant Champions Tour (VCT), signaling a significant expansion of its global competitive ecosystem.
- The 2025 Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) season will feature 48 teams competing across four regional leagues: EMEA, Pacific, CN, and Americas.
- The competitive calendar is expanded to run from January through October 2025, concluding with the Champions Paris event held from September 12 to October 5.
- Regional league play begins in January 2025 with Kickoff events, starting with VCT CN on January 11, followed by EMEA (Jan 15), Americas (Jan 16), and Pacific (Jan 18).
Riot Reveals Changes to LoL Esports European Regional Leagues in 2025
Riot Games is implementing significant structural changes to the League of Legends European Regional Leagues (ERLs) for the 2025 season.
- Riot Games is granting European Regional League (ERL) tournament organizers greater autonomy in 2025 by allowing them to design custom competition formats tailored to their specific communities.
- Broadcasting requirements are being relaxed, giving organizers the option to host remote or studio setups and removing the mandate to air every match.
- Tournament organizers will have increased discretion to grant teams co-streaming rights for all ERL matches, including first-person view streams.
Riot Games Transitions LPL English Broadcast to Co-Streaming Model
Riot Games has officially transitioned the English-language broadcast of China’s League of Legends Pro League (LPL) to a co-streaming-only model.
- Riot Games has suspended its official English-language broadcast for the League of Legends Pro League (LPL) in favor of a co-streaming-only model.
- The shift follows data showing that only 29.4% of non-Chinese LPL viewership occurred on official channels, while 70.6% was generated through co-streaming.
- Individual content creators are central to this transition, with streamer Marc “Caedrel” Lamont alone accounting for 18.4% of total LPL viewership.
OverActive Media Secures Long-Term Franchise Agreement with Riot Games
OverActive Media has finalized a new long-term partnership agreement with Riot Games, securing its continued participation in the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC).
- OverActive Media has secured a new long-term partnership with Riot Games, ensuring its continued participation in the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC).
- The agreement eliminates $2 million in franchise payables that were previously scheduled to be due in 2025.
- OverActive Media now holds 100% ownership of its franchises with no remaining associated liabilities.
Freaks 4U Gaming Secures Rights to Operate Prime League From Riot
Berlin-based esports firm Freaks 4U Gaming has secured a contract renewal from Riot Games to continue operating the League of Legends Prime League.
- Riot Games has renewed the operator license for the League of Legends Prime League with Berlin-based firm Freaks 4U Gaming for the 2025–2027 period.
- The agreement allows Freaks 4U Gaming to continue managing the regional league for Germany, Switzerland, and Austria (DACH), a role they have held since 2018.
- German health insurance provider Techniker Krankenkasse will remain the title partner for the Prime League throughout 2025.
Games Industry Layoffs Surpass 13k for 2024: October Update
The global video game industry continues to face significant workforce contraction, with total layoffs for 2024 surpassing 13,000 positions as of early November.
- Total layoffs in the games industry have exceeded 13,000 for 2024, with over 400 jobs cut in October alone.
- Sony Interactive Entertainment accounted for the largest single reduction in October, cutting 210 employees following the closure of Firewalk Studios and Neon Koi.
- Other notable October layoffs include 72 staff at XR Games, 69 at Don't Nod, 50 at ProbablyMonsters, 35 at Netflix, and 32 at Riot Games.
