Riot Games Announces Changes to the EU LCS

By Zac Cameron ·

The EU LCS will be taking a page out of the NA LCS's book with their changes to the league and the way teams are involved.

Riot Games Announces Changes to the EU LCS

Starting in 2019, the EU LCS will be moving to a franchise model, much like what the NA LCS has right now. In an announcement by Riot Games, it has been revealed that the teams of the EU LCS will be shifting to a “Permanent Partner” status, which will remove the ever present fear of relegations, along with an application process for teams to “buy-in” to the league. Riot Games have taken the results they’ve seen in both the North American and Chinese Leagues, and will be expanding the model to include the EU LCS starting next year.

The fans of the EU LCS should be pleased with the increased stability the new model will provide (LoL Esports Photos, Flickr)
The fans of the EU LCS should be pleased with the increased stability the new model will provide (LoL Esports Photos, Flickr)

Team who wish to join the revamped EU LCS have until July 1st to make their applications, and Riot Games will view and judge the various applicants before announcing in November which teams will comprise the EU LCS for the foreseeable future. The franchising fees for joining the new EU LCS are reported to be €8 million ($9.9 million), with teams that are newly joining the League to pay an additional €2.5 million ($3.1 million).

Once the new season starts, player salaries will also be rising, with players set to take home a minimum €60,000 ($74,200), not counting their individual salaries and sponsorship deals. The revenue generated from the new agreement will also be split three ways, with players taking 35%, to cover the salaries, teams taking 32.5%, to be further distributed based on competitive and engagement metrics, and 32.5% going to Riot Games to cover the cost of broadcast’s, live events, and running the EU LCS.

We're not yet sure which teams will make the cut in the new league (LoL Esports Photos, Flickr)
We're not yet sure which teams will make the cut in the new league (LoL Esports Photos, Flickr)

We already know that several EU LCS teams had previously applied to join the NA LCS when they made the switch to the franchise model, so it will be interesting to see which of the current EU LCS teams manage to claim a spot, and which teams will be left behind. You can read the full report from Riot Games outlining the coming changes, here, and for more action from the EU LCS, check out the match preview for the first semi-final match, held tomorrow.