Riot Games end Rift Rivals in many regions around the world

League of Legends enthusiasts received disappointing news as Riot Games announced significant reductions to the Rift Rivals tournament circuit. The company confirmed it will discontinue the majority of these regional competitions, maintaining only two key matchups.

Through an official statement published on their Oceania League of Legends platform, Riot revealed strategic changes to the international tournament structure. The competitions between North American and European teams will continue operating, alongside the events featuring LCK (Korea), LPL (China), and LMS (Taiwan/Hong Kong/Macau) regions. However, tournaments involving Oceania, Japan, Southeast Asia, and several other emerging markets will not proceed as previously scheduled.

Riot Games identified two primary factors driving this decision: consistently underwhelming audience numbers and substantially elevated production expenses. When comparing Rift Rivals to standard competitive season operations, the company found the specialized tournaments demanded significantly more financial investment while delivering comparable or even inferior viewership metrics.

Chris “Belquin” Schubert, the esports lead for Oceania, elaborated on the strategic reasoning. He indicated that Riot Games Oceania concluded their resources would generate greater long-term value by strengthening the region’s foundational professional league infrastructure rather than funding international showcase events.

“We conducted extensive cost-benefit analysis and consulted with each affected region before determining this course of action,” Belquin explained. “This adjustment to Rift Rivals represents what we believe is the correct strategic move for ensuring sustainable growth and health within our competitive ecosystem.”

The financial reality became particularly evident when examining operational metrics. While Rift Rivals generated excitement among participating teams and dedicated fans, the tournaments failed to achieve the anticipated regional rivalry narratives that would justify their substantial cost overhead.

Riot Games Oceania has committed to reallocating the resources previously dedicated to Rift Rivals toward more sustainable development initiatives. The company plans to enhance support for university and high school competitive leagues, recognizing these as crucial pipelines for cultivating future professional talent and expanding the player base.

Additionally, the organization will increase investment in grassroots programs designed to strengthen competitive infrastructure at the community level. This strategic pivot aims to build more stable foundations for long-term regional growth rather than focusing on intermittent international showcases.

Belquin emphasized that eliminating Rift Rivals tournaments was not a decision made hastily or without considerable deliberation. The events certainly provided memorable moments for local communities and generated enthusiasm among competitive teams and their supporters.

However, the anticipated compelling cross-regional narratives that would drive sustained viewer engagement never fully developed. Audience numbers consistently mirrored regular Oceanic Pro League (OPL) broadcasts, despite the tournaments carrying operational expenses far exceeding standard season production budgets.

The previous year’s competition demonstrated the potential of these events when hosted in supportive markets. Sydney, Australia served as the venue where Oceania squads achieved a triumphant first-place finish, generating significant local enthusiasm and community engagement.

The now-cancelled 2019 tournament was scheduled to take place in Japan, featuring teams from Oceania, Southeast Asia, and Japan. This cancellation represents a particular disappointment for Japanese esports fans who anticipated hosting their first major League of Legends international tournament.

While this announcement brings disappointing news for many enthusiasts, Belquin provided reassurance about future opportunities. He confirmed that possibilities remain for events with similar international formats to emerge and thrive in the competitive landscape.

“Our organization maintains openness to considering other globally integrated competitive events in future planning cycles,” Belquin stated, leaving the door open for potential new tournament concepts that might better serve regional needs and audience preferences.

For players looking to improve their skills despite these tournament changes, our BF6 Class Selection Guide offers valuable strategic insights that can be applied across competitive gaming contexts.

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