Riot Games Eliminates Regional Prize Pools in Strategic Esports Revenue Overhaul

Riot Games has announced a major modernisation of its financial structure for the 2026 League of Legends season, confirming it will eliminate regional split prize pools across all leagues funded by its Global Revenue Pool (GRP).

The move will redirect these funds into deeper ecosystem development, impacting premier leagues including the LCK (Korea), LEC (EMEA), and LCS (North America).

Expressing concern over the shift and noting on social media, Gen.G CEO, Arnold Won Hur, said : “Unfortunate to see prize pools being removed from LCK. As publishers push esports toward profitability, some will focus on creating new revenue streams, others on cutting costs.”

Riot Games stated that previous regional payouts had resulted in “comparatively small payouts for individual players,” while the collective investment had grown into a “meaningful amount” that could be deployed more effectively.

Under the new model, international prize pools for events such as First Stand, MSI, and the World Championship will remain funded by the GRP. However, leagues with differing partnership models, such as CBLOL (Brazil) and LCP (Asia-Pacific), will retain their current structures.

The recalibration follows a period of significant financial strain, particularly within the LCK. A report from April 2025 revealed the Korean league accumulated losses of KRW42.7 billion (AUD43.09 million) over three years, with revenue plummeting nearly 60% after the loss of lucrative Chinese broadcasting rights.

Riot Games’s pivot aims to stabilise the professional scene by prioritising long-term sustainability over fragmented win-based incentives.

By consolidating these resources, the organisation seeks to protect the honour and competitive integrity of its most recognisable global properties while navigating a challenging macroeconomic environment for the broader esports industry.

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