League of Legends
GameBy Riot Games · Released Oct 27, 2009
Documents about League of Legends
TJ Sports Issues Lifetime Ban to TES Player Yang “Naiyou” Zijian
TJ Sports has imposed a lifetime ban on League of Legends player Yang “Naiyou” Zijian following confirmed instances of match-fixing.
- TJ Sports has issued a lifetime ban to Top Esports (TES) player Yang “Naiyou” Zijian from all Tencent, Riot Games, and TJ Sports competitions due to multiple instances of match-fixing.
- Top Esports has terminated Zijian’s contract, withheld all outstanding salary and prize money, and reserved the right to pursue damages for breach of contract.
- Investigations revealed that Zijian’s prior involvement in match-fixing within the League of Legends Development League (LDL) was used by bookmakers as leverage to coerce his continued cooperation.
Top 10 Most-Watched LoL Esports Tournaments: All-Time Records
League of Legends esports continues to demonstrate unprecedented growth in global viewership, cementing its status as a premier competitive gaming title.
- The 2024 League of Legends World Championship set all-time industry records with 190.1 million total hours watched and a peak concurrent viewership of 6.85 million.
- Riot Games’ integration of community co-streaming has been a primary driver in expanding the reach and accessibility of major broadcast events.
- The LCK 2025 season achieved a top-three position in all-time viewership rankings following structural format changes and increased airtime.
How to Watch LCK 2026 Season: Schedule, Teams and New Locations
The 2026 LCK season represents a significant evolution in professional League of Legends esports, balancing established competitive structures with strategic geographic expansion.
- The 2026 LCK season runs from April 1 to September 13, featuring ten franchise organizations including T1, Gen.G, Dplus KIA, and KT Rolster.
- The league is implementing the 'Fearless Draft' format to increase tactical diversity and performance volatility across matches.
- The LCK is expanding its international footprint by hosting the DRX Homefront event in Hanoi, Vietnam, to target the Southeast Asian market.
MPL PH S17 Week 1: Viewership Surges by 43%
The opening week of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League Philippines Season 17 marks a pivotal expansion in regional esports engagement, characterized by a substantial 43% increase in overall viewership compared to previous seasonal benchmarks.
- MPL PH Season 17 opening week viewership surged by 43% compared to previous seasonal benchmarks.
- Peak concurrent viewership reached 662,838, representing a 43.6% increase over previous records.
- Average viewership for the opening week more than doubled, settling at 227,900.
G2 Esports Dominates First Stand 2026 Viewership
G2 Esports solidified its position as the premier organization in the professional League of Legends landscape during the 2026 First Stand tournament.
- G2 Esports led the 2026 First Stand tournament with an average of 789,100 concurrent viewers.
- G2 Esports outperformed Bilibili Gaming in viewership by a margin of 3.5 percent.
- G2 Esports achieved a historic semifinal victory against Gen.G, marking a rare instance of a European team eliminating a Korean contender in a best-of-five series.
NLC Organizers ‘No Longer in a Position to Operate the League’
League ApS, the tournament organizer for the Northern League of Legends Championship (NLC), has officially informed Riot Games that it can no longer operate the league.
- League ApS has informed Riot Games that it is no longer able to operate the Northern League of Legends Championship (NLC), leaving the league's future uncertain just weeks before the Spring 2026 season.
- Riot Games is currently assessing the situation to ensure competition continuity and has promised to provide updates on the Spring Split and the league's path forward before the season begins at the end of March.
- The withdrawal follows a period of instability for the NLC, characterized by reports of late payments and unpaid invoices to broadcast talent, which resulted in significant community criticism.
ExpressVPN Announces Widespread Esports Push
ExpressVPN has launched a significant expansion into the esports sector, securing official VPN partnerships with several prominent organizations and leagues.
- ExpressVPN has launched a major esports expansion through official partnerships with the LEC, VCT EMEA, VCT Americas, G2 Esports, and the World of Warcraft guild Method.
- The deal includes a renewal of ExpressVPN’s partnership with the LEC, which was originally established in August 2025.
- The sponsorship activations will span broadcast integrations, creator content, exclusive in-game rewards, livestream drops, and various promotional giveaways.
Streamer Team Continues to Shake Up Tier 2 League of Legends
The rise of creator-led teams in Tier 2 League of Legends, specifically within the Northern League of Legends Championship (NLC), represents a significant shift in the competitive landscape.
- The creator-led team 'Los Ratones' drove a massive surge in NLC viewership, with peak concurrent viewers growing over 100 times from approximately 2,000 in Spring 2024 to over 223,000 in Spring 2025.
- Following the dissolution of Los Ratones in February 2026, the core roster reformed as 'Witchcraft' to compete in the Winter 2026 EMEA Masters.
- Witchcraft’s entry into the EMEA Masters displaced Bulldog Esports from their qualification spot, highlighting the disruptive impact of creator-led teams on traditional Tier 2 organizational structures.
U.S. Authorities May Force Tencent to Divest American Gaming Assets
U.S. authorities are currently evaluating whether to compel the Chinese technology conglomerate Tencent to divest its significant holdings in American gaming companies.
- U.S. authorities are considering forcing Tencent to divest its American gaming assets due to national security concerns regarding the potential access to personal data of U.S. players.
- The regulatory scrutiny specifically targets Tencent’s full ownership of Riot Games, its 40% stake in Epic Games, and its majority stake in the Finland-based company Supercell.
- A previous investigation into Tencent’s U.S. investments by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) in 2020 failed to reach a unanimous decision, resulting in no forced divestment at that time.
LEC EMEA Masters Offers Pipeline to the Esports World Cup
Riot Games has integrated the 2026 LEC EMEA Masters into the qualification pathway for the Esports World Cup (EWC), marking a significant shift in the developer’s competitive ecosystem.
- Riot Games has integrated the 2026 EMEA Masters Winter tournament as a direct qualification pathway to the Esports World Cup (EWC) in Riyadh.
- The top two teams from the 36-team EMEA Masters Winter event will advance to compete against 10 LEC teams for a spot at the EWC.
- EMEA Masters Winter begins on March 9, 2026, and features a three-stage format consisting of a Champions Round, a 32-team Group Stage, and a double-elimination Playoff bracket.
GRID Partners With Smilegate for Crossfire Esports Data
GRID, a specialized esports gaming data and betting technology platform, has entered into a partnership with South Korean game publisher Smilegate to manage the official match data infrastructure and distribution for the Crossfire esports ecosystem.
- GRID has partnered with South Korean publisher Smilegate to provide official match data infrastructure and distribution for the Crossfire esports ecosystem.
- The collaboration aims to enhance fan engagement, commercial growth, and player experiences by integrating GRID's technology to capture and distribute live official match data.
- Crossfire, a first-person shooter franchise released in 2007, reports over one billion lifetime registered players across more than 80 countries.
How YouTube Shorts Impact Game Discovery
YouTube Gaming experienced a record-breaking performance in 2025, reaching 8.8 billion hours watched and capturing approximately 25% of the total live-streaming market.
- YouTube Gaming achieved a record 8.8 billion hours watched in 2025, representing a 12% year-over-year increase and capturing approximately 25% of the total live-streaming market.
- YouTube Shorts serves as a critical discovery engine for gaming, with the number of gaming-related Shorts posted peaking at 6.15 million in August 2025.
- Roblox became the most-watched game on YouTube Gaming in 2025 with 425 million hours watched, marking a 294% year-over-year increase.
Companies behind it
Riot Gamesdeveloper, publisher, owner334
Overwolfowner35
Tencent Holdingsowner, publisher746- Riotowner, developer326
- NAVERowner3
- Talondeveloper17
FunPlusowner35
Metaowner504
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