The first stage of the LPL's new season is about to start. The LPL recently released the list of sponsors for the S16 season. This year, there are only seven partners, with Shouqu being the newcomer, while the others are returning sponsors. Compared to the third stage last year, the number of total sponsors has dropped by four, all of whom were longstanding big investors in the LPL region.

Alongside Mercedes pulling out, Intel, OPPO, and Mosilian have also abandoned their sponsorships. Mosilian is roughly on the same level as Shouqu, so it’s a like-for-like replacement and has little impact on the LPL. However, the departure of the other three is more damaging. Mercedes had been a chief partner for eight years, and their withdrawal leaves a big gap in sponsorship funds without a replacement. The loss of the other two sponsors is also significant.

Intel and OPPO both have products related to esports, so their withdrawal makes things quite difficult for the LPL. Perhaps these major sponsors decided to pull out because the LPL’s popularity has dropped sharply over recent seasons, making sponsorship less effective. The disappointing performance at last year’s World Championship also had a big impact on LPL’s popularity. Ticket sales for the opening matches of the first stage this season are sluggish.

On the opening day, the 14th, there will be two best-of-three matches: WBG vs. IG and Top Esports vs. JD Gaming. The latter is considered the highlight. Yet, with only one day left before the event, very few official tickets have been sold. Looking at seat selection, most seats remain empty. For example, in the premium front-row section, only 7 out of 44 tickets have been sold, leaving the rest unsold.

In the next tier of seating, there are several hundred tickets, but fewer than 50 have been sold. Since JD Gaming upgraded their venue in 2023, it can hold up to 2,000 people, but so far, fewer than 100 tickets have been sold in total. It seems that JKL’s absence has had a noticeable effect; without him, tickets aren’t selling well. Also, JD’s home stadium is somewhat out of the way, and since the matches are on weekdays, many fans who want to attend simply don’t have the time.

Moreover, ticket prices are quite high this time. Even the seats at the back cost 108 yuan, where fans only watch a big screen from afar. It might be better to just order delivery and watch the live stream at home. Top Esports, not being at full strength, lacks appeal since their team spirit is gone. Once their star player returns, tickets for their matches will surely sell well. JD Gaming is in a bit of an awkward position this year, with no top-tier players in their lineup, resulting in poor ticket sales.

Everyone wants to see Gazi’s gameplay, but his drawing power is still limited. Overall, the LPL’s popularity this year has indeed declined compared to last year. If they fail to gain any wins this year, it could be even tougher in the coming years. Other regions are also struggling; the LCK, LEC, and LCS have all canceled shared prize pools, increasing the survival pressure on clubs in the future.

What LPL fans care about most is international performance. As long as teams perform well at the Rift Rivals and MSI, the popularity will rebound significantly. But the most crucial event is the World Championship. It’s been four years since EDG won the title. During this period, LPL teams have reached the finals but failed to claim the trophy. The biggest blow was the three consecutive titles by Faker—LPL has competed for over a decade but still hasn’t managed a direct victory over him.

Conclusion:

With four major sponsors pulling out and tickets selling poorly, the officials must be quite anxious. Increasing the world championship points for the first stage is meant to encourage teams to take it seriously. However, among the LPL’s three top stars, two have already left, and it’s unclear when the third will return. The LPL seems to urgently need to create a new star player.

What do you think? Has the popularity dropped this year?

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