Riot Games, the developer of the popular e-sports discipline League of Legends, has announced changes to the highest league of the European Championship (LEC). These changes will take effect before the start of the season on January 13, 2024.
Riot is merging the group stage and playoffs of each split into a single bracket. This change, as company representatives noted, will reduce the wait time for fans for the tournament’s climax. However, breaks in the LEC will be extended in the following year, including longer pauses between the winter and spring splits by one additional week.
The minimum age for cyber athletes eligible to participate in League of Legends championships has been increased from 17 to 18 years. Riot explained this decision as an attempt to explore “additional revenue opportunities” from competitions. Also, reaching the age of majority, players will be able to receive their salary directly, rather than through a representative.
Riot Games is an American video game developer, known for the shooter Valorant and the MOBA game League of Legends. The company organizes e-sports tournaments for its products, attracting millions of viewers and dollars in prize money.
