Riot
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Documents about Riot
John Knauss Joins GRID Esports as EVP of Gaming Solutions
GRID Esports has appointed John Knauss as its new Executive Vice President of Gaming Solutions.
- John Knauss, a former Riot Games executive with nearly a decade of experience, has joined GRID Esports as the new Executive Vice President of Gaming Solutions.
- In his new role, Knauss will lead GRID’s Gaming Data Solutions vertical, focusing on tournament management, data distribution, monetization, and integrity for game developers.
- During his tenure at Riot Games, Knauss served as Senior Manager of Technical Product Management, where he oversaw global sports data rights strategy and competitive data programs for League of Legends and Valorant.
Worlds 2024 Grand Finals Hits Major Viewership Milestone
The League of Legends Worlds 2024 Grand Finals, held at the O2 Arena in London, established a new benchmark for global esports engagement.
- The League of Legends Worlds 2024 Grand Finals between T1 and Bilibili Gaming reached approximately 6.94 million peak viewers, marking it as the most popular esports match in history.
- This event is only the second esports tournament ever to surpass the 6 million peak viewership milestone.
- Vietnamese language broadcasts set a record for the event with 1.11 million peak concurrent viewers, becoming the tenth language to cross the 1 million mark in professional gaming.
Untold Stories of Activision, Blizzard, and King Founders
The analysis examines the professional trajectory and investment performance of gaming startups founded by former employees of Activision, Blizzard, and King.
- Startups founded by Activision, Blizzard, and King alumni raised nearly $0.7 billion in venture capital across 40 funding rounds between 2020 and 2024.
- Alumni-led startups demonstrate strong follow-on financing capabilities, typically securing subsequent funding rounds within one to two years of their initial investment.
- Major venture capital firms, specifically a16z and BITKRAFT, remain the primary financiers for these alumni-led gaming ventures.
Worlds 2024 Finals Estimated Economic Impact: London
The League of Legends World Championship Finals (Worlds 2024), held at London’s O2 Arena, generated an estimated economic impact of £12 million ($15.5 million USD) for the city.
- The League of Legends World Championship (Worlds 2024) finals at London's O2 Arena are estimated to generate an economic impact of £12 million ($15.5 million USD) for the city.
- The economic impact projection was provided by the investment firm London & Partners, based on confidential evaluations of previous League of Legends tournament data.
- The event features a sold-out crowd of approximately 14,500 attendees at the O2 Arena, though reports indicate significant secondary market activity and scalping.
League of Legends Championship of The Americas: 2025 Format and Teams
Riot Games has unveiled the structure and participating organizations for the 2025 League of Legends Championship of The Americas (LTA), a unified competitive ecosystem that replaces the previous LCS, LLA, and CBLoL leagues.
- Riot Games is consolidating the LCS, LLA, and CBLoL into the new League of Legends Championship of The Americas (LTA), split into North and South Conferences starting January 25, 2025.
- The LTA North Conference features eight teams, including six legacy LCS organizations (Cloud9, Dignitas, FlyQuest, Shopify Rebellion, Team Liquid Honda) and Lyon Gaming as the LATAM partner.
- The LTA South Conference includes seven partner teams: Fluxo, FURIA, LOUD, paiN Gaming, RED Canids, Vivo Keyd Stars, and Leviatán.
Riot Reveals Format Changes to League of Legends EMEA Championship in 2025
Riot Games has announced a significant restructuring of the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) for the 2025 season, moving to a three-split format designed to increase competitive stakes.
- The 2025 League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) season will transition to a three-split format (Winter, Spring, and Summer), replacing the previous Season Finals structure and eliminating Championship points.
- The Winter Split begins January 18, 2025, and will exclusively utilize the 'Fearless Draft' format throughout the competition.
- Spring and Summer splits will shift toward a best-of-three series structure during the regular season to increase competitive stakes.
2025 League of Legends Championship to be Hosted in China
Riot Games has officially announced that the 2025 League of Legends World Championship will be hosted in China. This decision marks a significant return to the region for the premier esports event.
- Riot Games will host the 2025 League of Legends World Championship in China.
- Riot Games has extended and expanded its global partnership with the China-based mobile phone manufacturer OPPO.
- Under the expanded agreement, OPPO will serve as the global presenting partner for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award at both the 2025 Mid-Season Invitational and the 2025 World Championship.
Pittsburgh Knights, Knights Arena to Close by Year’s End
The esports organization Pittsburgh Knights and its events division, Knights Arena, will officially cease all operations by the end of 2024. This closure follows seven years of activity in the competitive gaming sector.
- The esports organization Pittsburgh Knights and its events arm, Knights Arena, will cease all operations by the end of 2024.
- The company has initiated a round of layoffs, with remaining essential staff scheduled to be let go after December 1, 2024.
- The shutdown timeline is set to coincide with the conclusion of the Valorant Challengers League 2024 North America: Stage 3, which runs from November 5 to December 1.
Bleed Esports Counter-Strike 2 Players Revolt
Bleed Esports, a Singapore-based organization, is facing a public revolt from its Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) roster over significant financial grievances.
- Bleed Esports is facing a public revolt from its Counter-Strike 2 roster, with coach Aleksandar "Kassad" Trifunovic alleging the organization owes players and partners a total of $332,000 in unpaid salaries, prize money, and buyout fees.
- The outstanding debt includes $130,000 owed to Apeks, $42,000 to G2, $100,000 in unpaid prize money, and various individual player payments totaling over $60,000.
- While Bleed Esports claims that player salaries are paid through August with September payments in process, the roster has publicly disputed these claims, labeling the organization's management as dishonest.
Bleed Esports Removed From Valorant Champions Tour, VCT Pacific
Riot Games has officially removed the Southeast Asia-based organization Bleed Esports from the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) and VCT Pacific.
- Riot Games has removed Bleed Esports from the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) and VCT Pacific for failing to meet the requirements of the team participation agreement.
- Boom Esports has been selected to replace Bleed Esports in the VCT Pacific league.
- Bleed Esports has faced ongoing allegations of failing to pay players on time, with reports indicating that team members were notified of their removal only 30 minutes before the public announcement.
Huya Reduces League of Legends Esports License Fees
Huya Inc. has secured a significant reduction in its licensing fees for broadcasting League of Legends esports content in mainland China.
- Huya has renegotiated its League of Legends broadcasting license with TJ Sports, reducing the total fee for 2024–2025 from ¥300M ($42.8M) to ¥230M ($32.8M).
- The license fee reduction follows a significant decline in Huya's financial performance, with live-streaming revenues dropping 21.3% from ¥8.2B in 2022 to ¥6.5B in 2023.
- Under the terms of a January 2023 agreement, Huya’s broadcasting rights for League of Legends matches were downgraded from exclusive to non-exclusive, and the company lost its sub-licensing rights.
VSPO to Host its Esports Asian Champions League in China
Chinese esports operator VSPO has announced plans to host the Esports Asian Champions League (ACL) in China in 2025.
- Chinese esports operator VSPO announced it will host the Esports Asian Champions League (ACL) in China in 2025.
- The ACL will operate under a dedicated foundation, with VSPO co-founder Wang Xinyi serving as CEO and co-founder Xie Fan as president.
- The league is positioned as a partner to the Esports World Cup (EWC), with HRH Prince Faisal serving as honorary president and discussions underway regarding the ACL serving as an Asian qualifier for the EWC.
