In recent years, the LPL region has always donned a “glamorous” image with blockbuster contracts and grand stadiums. For instance, TES is a clear testament to this as 4 out of their 5 players are rumored to hold the highest salaries in the LPL. However, the recent international performance of the LPL region has plummeted significantly. They failed to secure the championship at the 2023 World Championship and faced defeat at home during MSI 2024.
According to hints from LPL commentator – Remember, this region will face quite a few “incidents” in the coming years if their performance continues to be poor. Specifically, commentator Remember revealed that the LCS region has not been making money lately and is in a state of losses. As a result, the LCS tournament is no longer held at the LCS Studio but has been moved to organize the VALORANT tournament. If the LPL region continues to fail at the World Championship or MSI, a similar situation could occur with this tournament.
“This year and 2025 are extremely important years for the LPL. The LCS tournament lost its studio due to continuous financial losses and not making money. Do you know what Riot uses that studio for? To organize the VALORANT tournament. If LPL teams continue to fail, the investment in the tournament will significantly decrease in the coming years. At that point, LPL will enter a freeze period similar to the LCS,” commentator Remember shared.
Remember that in the 2023 season, the finals of the spring and summer splits of the LCS were still held at the grand LCS Arena. However, the finals of the LCS Spring 2024 took place in a relatively small studio. Therefore, we can sense that commentator Remember’s comments about the LCS are indeed true and that this tournament is facing significant financial difficulties.
This issue has also begun to arise in the LPL as the viewership of this tournament has sharply declined in the 2024 season. This is due to a loss of confidence among LPL fans after the region’s teams continuously failed in the 2023 World Championship and MSI 2024. Therefore, it is understandable that commentator Remember is concerned that the LPL may follow in the footsteps of the LCS as VALORANT is rapidly developing in the land of a billion people.
Fairly speaking, the LPL remains a large and traditional region in the League of Legends scene. Therefore, it is unlikely that they will be “kicked” out of familiar stages in their own home in the near future. However, the decline in LPL viewership in the 2024 season is a strong wake-up call for this region. If they continue to fail in international tournaments in the future, the possibility of the LPL following the “downfall” of the LCS could very well happen.