When we started this journey five years ago, we set out to build the first professional esports league in the region. From those humble beginnings, we enabled top players to become pros, and we gave fans a place to cheer loudly.
At Riot Games, we want to build competitive and sustainable leagues that drive commercial growth and fan engagement and that support professional play as a full-time career. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of our teams and players, the OPL has not met our goals for the league, and we do not believe that the market is currently able to support the league in its current form.
So today we are announcing the dissolution of the OPL and the closure of Riot’s Sydney office, as it primarily focused on operating the league. However, this is not the end of League esports in OCE. We remain committed to supporting our pro players in the region with a path to continue their careers moving forward. Beginning with the 2021 season, we are adding OCE to the competitive territory for the LCS, so OCE players will no longer take an import slot on LCS rosters. This will open up new opportunities in North America for top OPL players. We will also hold qualifying tournaments in OCE for both MSI and Worlds in 2021, ensuring teams from the region will continue to be represented at our two major global events next season.
With all that being said, Riot remains fully committed to supporting all players in OCE, and we are excited for what's to come in 2021 and beyond.
Malte Wagener, Managing Director, NA & OCE
Tom Martell, Director of Operations, Global Esports
