Riot Games has announced that it has raised the LEC’s minimum age from 17 to 18 in a move that could breathe new life into teams’ finances.
In a FAQ article posted on the LoL Esports website, Riot explained that the change to the minimum age requirement ahead of the LEC Winter split is aimed at helping “unlock new sponsorship opportunities for teams.”
LEC teams can still sign players aged under 18, but they won’t be able to start them in the league until they turn 18, Riot added.
So far, there is no indication that the LCS will also raise its minimum age to 18.
The competition’s rulebook, posted on December 16, states that players are ineligible to compete “in any LCS-affiliated Match before their 17th birthday.” Still, it is worth mentioning that the LEC’s official rulebook continues to state that the league’s minimum age is 17. (The document, which Riot linked to in January 12’s announcement, was last modified on November 21).
On Twitter, esports veteran Christopher ‘MonteCristo’ Mykles speculated that the change could be an attempt to comply with gambling regulations in Europe and allow teams to advertise betting companies. Others have suggested that it is aimed at greenlighting the sponsorship of teams by alcohol companies.
The 2023 LEC 2023 will feature three splits — Winter, Spring, and Summer — as part of Riot Games’ overhaul of the league’s format, with three matchdays every week on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays. In 2022, the LEC saw a “gradual decline in all the main [viewership] metrics,” according to Esports Charts.
About Post Author
