Riot Games Abandons Official English Broadcasts of LPL, the Largest Regional League

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Riot Games

Riot Games Ends Official English-Language LPL Coverage

Riot Games has made the decision to stop official English-language coverage of the LPL, which is the famous regional League of Legends league in China. The announcement was shared across various social media platforms, causing mixed reactions from fans and players alike. There will be no official English-language broadcasts for the upcoming 2025 season. Instead, coverage will be handed over to community commentators who will use clean match footage combined with live in-game audio. The shift marks a move to a more grassroots approach to broadcasting, relying on passionate community members to provide commentary and insight during matches.

This marks the first instance where Riot Games has completely stepped back from English-language coverage of the LPL. As the largest franchise league in the esports arena for League of Legends, the LPL featured an impressive roster of 17 teams competing in 2024. However, concerns about the league’s trajectory have been voiced by various staff members on social media. After Edward Gaming clinched the world championship title in 2021, the league’s popularity began to wane significantly. This decline has had a noticeable impact on overall viewership, event attendance, and social media engagement. Fans have expressed their frustration so intensely that some even called for drastic measures, such as cutting player salaries or even shutting down the LPL entirely, especially after disappointing performances from Weibo Gaming and Bilibili Gaming in the Worlds finals in both 2023 and 2024. Despite these challenges, it’s worth noting that reports indicate that League of Legends still reigns as the most popular game in internet cafes throughout China, highlighting a complex relationship between competitive success and grassroots popularity.

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