Introduction: With the S16 season approaching, it's clear that the majority of players have been paying attention to the recent offseason. There have been considerable personnel movements in both the LPL and LCK regions, particularly in the LPL, which has not won a world title for several years. This has led to substantial sponsor changes. Recently, Riot officially announced a surprising decision before the season began: the cancellation of league prize money across most regions. This news quickly triggered heated discussions worldwide. Only the LPL retained its prize pool, while even the LCK lost theirs. This move has crushed the last bit of motivation for weaker teams, yet ticket sales continue as usual.

Riot Cancels LCK League Prize Money

Most players are quite familiar with League of Legends, a highly successful esports title that has grown substantially over more than a decade. However, in recent years, the game's overall popularity has fluctuated greatly. The departure of many veteran players has led to declining viewership for various tournaments. To address this, the developers have made significant adjustments with each season update. This time is no exception; the introduction of many new items has attracted some returning players. The S16 season was expected to start normally, but an official announcement sparked widespread debate across the entire player base.

Starting in 2026, Riot will eliminate regional prize pools from the global revenue sharing system and instead focus funds on areas with deeper impact and greater influence. Historically, individual players earned relatively little from prize pools despite the large total investments in regions. By improving financial management, Riot aims to promote long-term growth more effectively. The prize pools for the LEC, LCK, and LCS have been removed, while the LPL's league prize money remains intact. Many players are unhappy with this change, as League of Legends prizes were already low compared to games like Honor of Kings, CS:GO, and DOTA. Instead of gradually increasing payouts, Riot has suddenly cut them entirely.

Removing prize money doesn't heavily affect lower-ranking teams since they rarely earn much, and any winnings are split among players and coaches. The biggest impact is on top-performing teams capable of winning championships, as the prize money for champions is quite substantial. Many LCK fans have voiced frustration, questioning why they should still pay for tickets if there are no prizes at stake. Statistics show the LCK prize pool cut amounts to $385,000, while the LEC’s was about $90,000. The LPL remains unaffected because it operates independently from Riot.

This adjustment clearly indicates Riot is financially strained and must reduce regional prize money to maintain company operations, signaling a looming downturn for the esports industry. The change has minimal effect on strong teams with star players since they rely mainly on contracts and salaries rather than tournament winnings. However, this move could lead mid-tier teams to lose motivation, struggle for sponsorships, and perform poorly. Does this really support healthy competition and the sport’s development?

Farewell Thoughts

It’s surprising that Riot has reached such a desperate state that they have removed league prize money altogether. It’s uncertain how much longer League of Legends can survive under these conditions. The owner of Gen.G team likely understands this best: when publishers push esports toward profitability, some focus on creating new revenue streams, while others cut costs. Ultimately, this may cause weaker teams to exit competitions, reducing the number of teams in each region.

What do you all think about this situation?