Evil Geniuses and Golden Guardians Exit LCS: 2024

The League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) is undergoing a significant structural contraction, reducing its North American league from ten participating teams to eight for the 2024 season. This shift follows the confirmed departure of two established organizations, Evil Geniuses and Golden Guardians, both of which will exit the league at the conclusion of the 2023 calendar year.

The decision to downsize the league was formally announced by Riot Games’ President of Esports, John Needham, in November 2023. Both departing organizations publicly acknowledged the change, framing their exits as a result of the league’s strategic shift toward a smaller team count. While the organizations expressed gratitude for their respective tenures—with Golden Guardians noting a five-year history and Evil Geniuses citing a four-season run—the specific financial terms or potential compensation regarding their vacated franchise slots remain undisclosed.

This development marks a notable consolidation within the professional League of Legends ecosystem in North America. By moving to an eight-team format, the league aims to adjust its operational scale, though the broader implications for the competitive landscape and the financial health of the remaining franchises continue to be a subject of industry observation.