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Following Riot Games’ layoffs earlier this week, the company’s esports ambitions seem to be under scrutiny. While Riot Games committed to integrating esports into its other products, staff cuts for the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) and its unreleased esports streaming platform indicate a significant shift in ambitions.
The League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) has been one of Riot’s most watched regional leagues, but the recent layoffs included key production staff such as the executive producer, head of production, backend engineers, and game observers. In total, at least 27 LEC staff have been impacted.
These layoffs happened just before the third week of the LEC’s 2024 season, and while the league intends to continue matches, the production is likely to be impacted. Fans are particularly concerned as the LEC’s production and gameplay distinguish the league from its North American counterpart.
In addition to the LEC, Riot Games also confirmed that it officially shut down its planned Twitch rival, codenamed Riot Esports Network (REN). The project was initially announced in 2016 as a $350 million deal with BAMTech, but fell apart when Disney acquired a controlling stake in BAMTech in 2018. REN would have given Riot Games more control of viewing, including integrations to promote teams and sponsors.
As a backup plan, Riot debuted its Virtual Pass last year to enhance the League of Legends viewing experience for fans and drive revenue for teams. However, the impact of these layoffs on Riot’s ambitions to grow direct fan monetization remains unclear.
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