Riot Games has just released a new version of its LoL Esports Community Competitions Guide. Caps on cash prizes, entry fees and sponsorship are gone. In the vast majority of cases, organizers no longer have to wait for Riot's green light to launch their event.
A single licence, valid everywhere
The most structural change concerns the old multi-tier licensing systems, which are disappearing in favour of a single community competition licence, applied identically across all regions. A French, Brazilian or Korean organizer now works within the same framework.
This licence covers every format and every scale: an internet café LAN, a university tournament, an open online bracket, or a larger-scale event. It also covers every game mode — Summoner's Rift, Howling Abyss, Arena, League of Legends Classic — as well as future modes to come.
The caps come off
Riot is simply and purely removing its monetary caps on:
- entry fees
- sponsorship revenue
- cash prizes
- ticketing
In the same move, several long-standing restrictions are also being scrapped: interstate high school competitions are no longer limited, restrictions on university competitions are disappearing, as are those covering the duration of competitions, the number of institutions allowed to take part, or the requirement to be sponsored by an esports governing body.
In return, Riot asks organizers to act "reasonably", to offer fair value to players and partners, and to avoid any misleading practices.
Broadcast freely… except on TV
Organizers can broadcast their event on the platform of their choice, charge spectators an entry fee, and even offer paid access to the stream.
Only one limit is imposed: broadcasting on a traditional television channel remains prohibited.
