For League of Legends esports in particular and esports in general, the audience is an indispensable factor, if not the most important one. In fact, having a sufficiently large audience can even determine the existence and value of a team. Because while there may not be too many League of Legends players, if a match only attracts around 200k viewers, it means that it is a less attractive match. For example, T1 whenever any match of Faker and his teammates easily claims a spot in the top viewership of the tournaments they participate in.
For teams that are strong in reputation, history, or finances, having a large fanbase is no longer a surprise, such as SKT T1/T1 or Gen.G… However, there are also quite a few teams with strong financial power and a top-tier roster in the region, even in the League of Legends scene in general, but their actual fan base is not as large when compared to other top teams. These teams mostly face limitations in their image communication and achievements. A typical example of this is Hanwha Life Esports – a team considered to have a very quality “super team” in LCK.
Recently, HLE made a very surprising and bold move. Specifically, according to a recent announcement on this team’s page, starting next season, each time HLE achieves a goal in the season, fans will be rewarded with a cash amount according to a certain percentage defined in the membership package. Specifically, for each achievement reaching the playoffs in tournaments such as LCK Spring, Summer, or qualifying for the 2024 World Championship, each HLE fan will be rewarded 0.3%.
For the achievement of reaching the finals of the World Championship, each HLE fan will be rewarded 0.6%. This money is based on the membership package that HLE fans will purchase. The total amount that HLE fans can receive is 9,000 won (about 170,000 VND).
At first glance, it seems that players will receive familiar benefits as when owning a membership package. But in fact, this package only applies to those who purchase HLE’s “Savings Insurance” package + includes player content and various benefits. At this point, many gamers believe: HLE simply transformed the familiar membership package into an insurance package, and fans will receive benefits similar to those when purchasing health insurance or similar insurance packages.
Although the program reflects the style of HLE’s owner (Hanwha Life Insurance Corporation), it still sparks debate among many, especially since the price of the insurance package has yet to be announced. However, if the price is reasonable and the HLE roster performs well, fans might happily reach into their pockets after all.