League of Legends
GameBy Riot Games · Released Oct 27, 2009
Documents about League of Legends
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.
From League of Legends to Deadlock: Understanding MOBAs | Extra Credits
Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas (MOBAs) represent a complex, team-oriented genre that evolved from early real-time strategy (RTS) mods like Aeon of Strife and Defense of the Ancients.
- MOBAs are defined by a two-tiered economy of experience and gold, where experience upgrades character stats and abilities while gold is used to purchase items that provide significant power spikes.
- Minion farming is a critical strategic priority because gold and experience are lost if a player does not land the final hit on a minion, and sharing lanes reduces the total resources available to the team.
- Unlike hero shooters where character power remains relatively static, MOBA characters can become 'fed' by accumulating a disproportionate amount of resources, leading to massive power imbalances that are driven by the underlying economy.
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.
Gaming and Esports in Vietnam: A New Arena for Brands
Vietnam’s gaming and esports landscape has evolved into a high-growth, culturally resonant channel for brands targeting the country’s youthful, tech-savvy population.
- Vietnam has the world's highest adult gamer rate at 85%, with a demographic where 70% of the population is under 25 and one-third of citizens are engaged in esports.
- Mobile gaming dominates the market, supported by high smartphone penetration and 4G coverage, with gamers typically spending 1–3 hours per session.
- Influencer marketing is highly effective, as 51% of gamers trust key opinion leader (KOL) recommendations and 42% report purchasing products endorsed by them.
Road to EWC 2026 Formally Launches
The Esports World Cup Foundation has officially launched the "Road to EWC 2026," a comprehensive global qualification program designed to funnel competitors into the Esports World Cup 2026, scheduled to take place in Riyadh from July 6 to August 23, 2026.
- The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has launched 'Road to EWC 2026,' a global qualification program featuring over 230 tournaments that serve as the primary pathway for competitors to reach the 2026 Esports World Cup.
- The 2026 Esports World Cup is scheduled to take place in Riyadh from July 6 to August 23.
- The qualification program utilizes a unified global calendar that integrates existing publisher leagues, international events, and open qualifiers to create a structured path from grassroots to professional levels.
Most Popular Esports Tournaments of January 2026
The global esports landscape in January 2026 demonstrates a clear shift toward mobile-first dominance and influencer-led engagement.
- The M7 World Championship set new viewership benchmarks in January 2026, confirming the rapid expansion and dominance of mobile esports.
- Independent influencers have become the primary drivers of platform traffic, occupying four of the five most-watched Twitch channels during the month.
- English-language viewership is shifting toward a decentralized model, with personality-driven co-streaming fundamentally altering traditional broadcast consumption.
Top Games on Live Streaming for 2025
The 2025 live-streaming landscape was characterized by the continued dominance of established intellectual properties, even as the industry faced significant internal challenges such as widespread developer layoffs.
- League of Legends maintained the top spot in live-streaming viewership with 1.95 billion hours watched, reflecting a 4% year-over-year growth.
- First-person shooters dominated the genre landscape with 4.6 billion total hours watched, with Counter-Strike alone accounting for 28% of that figure.
- ARC Raiders was the most successful 2025 launch title, generating 129 million hours watched within its first 30 days.
Saudi Esports Federation Teams With Yalla Group for Saudi eLeague 2026
The Saudi Esports Federation (SEF) has entered into a strategic partnership with the Dubai-based social networking and gaming company Yalla Group Limited for the 2026 season of the Saudi eLeague.
- The Saudi Esports Federation (SEF) has named Dubai-based Yalla Group as the official event partner for the 2026 Saudi eLeague (SEL).
- The partnership focuses on fostering the growth of the Women’s Saudi eLeague, which was introduced to the competition circuit in 2025.
- Yalla Group and the SEF will collaborate to establish a Talent Development Program in partnership with the Saudi Esports Academy to provide training and mentorship to local athletes.
Top Esports Games on Twitch 2025: CS2, LoL, Dota 2, Valorant
Counter-Strike 2 currently stands as the preeminent force in the global esports landscape, securing its position as the most-watched title on Twitch throughout 2025.
- Counter-Strike 2 is the most-watched esport on Twitch in 2025, generating 372.65 million hours of viewership.
- League of Legends ranks second in 2025 Twitch viewership with 307.17 million hours watched.
- Dota 2 maintains a significant market presence with 213.09 million hours of viewership recorded on Twitch.
League of Legends Champions Korea Cup Final Heads to Hong Kong
Riot Games has announced that the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) Cup final will take place at the Kai Tak Arena in Hong Kong from February 28 to March 1, 2026.
- Riot Games will host the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) Cup final at the Kai Tak Arena in Hong Kong from February 28 to March 1, 2026.
- This event marks the first time in LCK history that a final has been held outside of South Korea.
- The top two teams competing in the final will qualify for the 2026 First Stand Tournament (FST) in Brazil, scheduled for March 13–22.
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