Get Premium
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.
On the communications side, using League of Legends assets is permitted to promote the event, provided they are not retouched (cropping and resizing remain tolerated as long as the work stays recognizable) and are never used to promote a brand or a sponsor. Also prohibited: using Riot Games logos or the names of official competitions — MSI, Worlds, First Stand, LEC, LCK, LPL, LTA — or implying that the event is backed by Riot.
Riot remains master of its house
The point not to be missed is that by organizing a tournament under this licence, the organizer grants Riot the right to use, copy, modify, distribute and create derivative works from the content of their event.
In short, a free, non-exclusive, irrevocable, transferable, sublicensable and worldwide licence, with no obligation of payment, prior approval or even attribution.
Who is left out?
The guide is aimed at independent organizers, so certain entities will still have to go through a separate process with Riot:
- Government entities (excluding schools, libraries, local authorities and after-school programs)
- Public tourism offices and destination marketing organizations
- Brands that are not established tournament organizers, as well as LoL Esports teams and players under contract
Prohibited sponsors
The blacklist has been updated, and the following remain banned: betting and gambling, fantasy esports, medication and CBD products, firearms and ammunition, adult platforms, tobacco, alcohol and intoxicating substances, the sale of illegal virtual goods, sellers breaching Riot's Terms of Service, cryptocurrencies, NFTs and unregulated financial instruments, political campaigns, as well as charities tied to partisan causes or whose reliability is not established.
On the administrative side
Riot no longer requires approval, but "strongly" encourages organizers to declare their competition through a visibility form. This makes it possible to map the global community ecosystem. The incentive is concrete, given that declared events may be selected for spotlights, future rewards programs, or access to resources reserved for organizers.
Finally, Riot retains the right to step in, revoke an authorization or cancel an event at its sole discretion in the event of suspected violation of the guide or its values.
Comments (0)