Vortex Gaming

Ahead of the opening of the 2025 MSI finals, Riot Games held a roundtable interview on-site. Brett Lautenbach, Head of Global Product Strategy, and Pu Liu, League Studio Game Director, graced the event. They discussed the success of Arcane, LoL Esports' growth strategy, and various strategies to increase esports revenue. They shared Riot Games' vision for the sustainable growth of League of Legends esports.

Q. We are curious about the success of Arcane, the Netflix animation created by Riot Games.

Riot is very proud of Arcane. It is the result of the efforts of many teams. Arcane aligns well with Riot's core values. It also provided an opportunity to reach new users. Above all, we were able to share Riot Games' IP with fans. We learned a lot through Arcane Seasons 1 and 2. In the next work, we will provide an experience that exceeds fans' expectations.

Q. LCK viewership is gradually increasing. However, other leagues such as LEC are maintaining or decreasing in viewership on average. We are curious about ways to increase the popularity of leagues that are declining.

We have tried many changes in all regions over the past few years. Fearless Draft is a good example. Initially, we only intended to try it in Split 1. However, there was a lot of positive feedback from fans, and we decided to introduce Fearless Draft after collecting opinions from professional teams and players. In addition, we are constantly improving the format and operation method of the league, as well as the draft, to create the best environment.

Q. Can you disclose the indicators that have risen due to the format changes and the introduction of Fearless Draft this year? A long time has passed since LoL Esports was launched with the goal of becoming the best league in the world. How much longer can esports last?

This year's viewership and MSI viewership showed good growth. We also identified fans' reactions through conversations and surveys. There were many very positive reactions. We are also constantly communicating with the coaching staff and keeping an eye on whether there are any areas for improvement regarding the Fearless Draft changes.

We also think a lot about the sustainability of LoL Esports. Many people say that 'LoL is a game that spans generations.' We think the same way. We hope it continues to move forward like sports and has continuity. We have tried various changes and new projects over the past few years. The introduction of the Hall of Legends and Fearless Draft are examples. We believe that we are improving every year.

We have learned about users and fans by operating LoL Esports for 5 years. We do not want development that simply increases in size. We want to learn the tendencies of users and fans and grow accordingly. We will identify what is important to LoL users. We want to amplify the elements that fans who play and watch LoL like. Rather than comparing it to established sports, we want to wear clothes that fit us. We want LoL and esports to go together. We want to grow the parts that esports fans and game users like together.

Q. The chronic deficit problem of game teams is serious. I know about LCK's revenue distribution, but I'm curious about the revenue distribution method and new plans at the headquarters level. I know that the revenue from champion skin sales only goes to the players. Are there any product development plans that will return revenue to the game teams?

This year, we introduced GRP (Global Revenue Pool). This is a method of distributing esports content revenue to teams. First Stand Xayah Skin is a good example. It showed good sales performance and the fan response was also positive. There is also this MSI Hwei skin and bundle. The Hall of Legends project is similar. All of this contributes to GRP. The revenue generated from this is distributed to all teams around the world. We will continue this effort this year as well. World Skins are also included in GRP. So far, the attempts and efforts have been successful. It is showing satisfactory results.

Q. Are you willing to disclose specific figures?

We do not have any plans to disclose the figures, but we are very satisfied with the results so far. MSI and Hall of Legends sales are still in progress. We are always looking for ways to improve GRP. We will work with the game team to provide interesting products to fans.

Q. LoL Esports' revenue sources are sponsorships and digital product sales. I think the esports ecosystem can continue to develop if Riot makes more revenue. Are there any additional revenue models that you are currently planning or experimenting with?

There is esports content and sponsorship revenue. There is also revenue from ticket sales and MD product sales. In particular, MD product sales at this MSI tournament are good. In addition to this, we are planning new attempts that fans can enjoy. We believe that good revenue comes when we provide good content that satisfies fans.

Q. In Korea, collaboration between esports and traditional sports is active. Does Riot Games headquarters have any plans to collaborate with other sports leagues, such as the US Major League?

We had a good opportunity to collaborate with athletes who like LoL. Last year, we also collaborated with Son Heung-min. Personally, I am a Premier League fan, so it was very good. Recently, we have also been collaborating a lot with American tennis player Taylor Fritz. He is a user who truly loves LoL. There are commonalities between the competitive nature of LoL and world-class athletes, and we believe that these collaborations provide a good experience for users who enjoy playing games at home.

Q. Riot Games' position is to keep LoL Esports free to watch. Will you continue to maintain this in the future? Do you have any intention of holding special matches for a fee, like WWE pay-per-view? Also, do you have any intention of holding additional tournaments in which not only top league teams but also lower league teams participate?

It is important that League of Legends Esports is free to watch. We want a diverse fan base to enjoy LoL content. We have no intention of pursuing changes in viewing methods. Instead, we are trying Twitch subscriptions and Drops events, and we are considering various methods.

We are also considering holding a tier 2 tournament for lower league teams. In the case of LPL or LCK, the league is divided into groups to induce segmented competition. We hope that these attempts will help improve the experience of fans and players. And we are listening to the opinions of fans and professional teams to find new ways.

웹진 인벤김병호 기자
2025-07-13