![]() Riot generally does not use esports as a way to acquire new game players. This desire to organize and professionalize esports and to deliver a high-quality experience for our players was the beginning of modern esports as we know it today. Another big part of the dream for esports was to make playing League a meaningful life pursuit where a player could potentially build a long, well-paying career playing LoL. When players started embracing LoL and wanted to both participate and watch the competitive scene, Riot wanted to deliver a league and viewership experience worthy of that level of player expectation. One day they hoped League of Legends (“LoL” or “League”) would be worthy of an esport. To set the stage, let’s talk about the role esports plays at Riot Games.ĭuring the development of League of Legends, Riot’s founders admired the Intel Extreme Masters Series and games with esports like Starcraft and Counter Strike. We have a strong vision for how we’re going to unlock that passion, generate revenues, and ultimately build and maintain a thriving, sustainable sport ecosystem. In Riot’s first decade of professional esports, the business has built strong fundamentals, a global reach, and a young, passionate, and engaged audience. With this blog, I want to explain why we believe whole-heartedly in the long-term financial viability of esports as a business. It’s a particularly critical time to cover this topic with talk of a looming recession and uncertainty about the business of esports impacting the ability of 100+ pro teams in our leagues (League of Legends Esports/LoL Esports and VALORANT Champions Tour/VCT) to raise capital, and find and retain sponsors. I first want to write about the business of esports. So consider this the beginning of an effort to speak more on how we think about this future. In interviews over the past few years, I’ve said that my team and I believe we are building the Future of Sport at Riot Games. ![]() Worlds (aka League of Legends World Championship) is a great example of this as one of the biggest annual moments on Riot’s calendar–and one of the biggest sporting events on the planet. Riot is a company that gives you the space to dream big about experiences you want to build for players, and will invest in great ideas that “blow our fans’ minds” (we say this a lot). Combining my two biggest passions–gaming and sports–is truly a privilege, and I’m genuinely inspired every day. It’s been one of the best periods in my career. TLDR, we’re all in on esports at Riot and are dedicated to creating a sustainable future for teams, players, and fans.įor the last four years, I’ve led the esports business at Riot Games. In this article, John Needham, President of Esports at Riot Games, discusses the future of esports at Riot, the economics of the wider world of esports, and what Riot has planned for Worlds 2023 and beyond. Now we’re expanding that series to hear from other leaders around Riot. Over the last year we’ve published a series of blog posts from Riot’s CEO.
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