Riot Games Announces Dissolvement of Oceanic Pro League

Riot Games has surprised many in the eSports industry by announcing that the Oceanic Pro League (OPL) has ceased operating with immediate effect. The event, which featured both Australian and New Zealand-based League of Legends teams, will now no longer take place. However, players involved will be integrated into the North American player pool, which will come as good news for professionals.

It has also been announced that Riot’s Sydney office will close, however the 2021 Mid-Season Invitation and World Championship qualifiers in the region will still go ahead as planned. Managing Director, NA and OCE Malte Wagener and Director of Operations, Tom Martell released a joint statement on the decision, stating that: “the OPL has not met our goals for the league, and we do not believe that the market is currently able to support the league in its current form.”

Why Riot Has Dissolved the OPL

Riot Games made over $1.5 billion in revenue in 2019, with the leading eSports organization having made the decision to cancel the Oceanic Pro League’s operating subsidy in December last year too. The immediate future of staff, players and other personnel from former teams remains up in the air. However, Riot will seemingly try their best to intergrate players from the eight former OPL teams into the North American scene, which will be made easier by the fact that LCS teams must no longer have an available import slot on their roster to field such pros.

What the Decision Means for Those Involved

However, with the North American fold being more competitive than ever, it could well be that players from the Oceanic Challenger Series are forced to look elsewhere for new ventures. Meanwhile, it is also currently unclear as to what the format for the Mid-Season Invitational and World Championship qualifiers will be next year. Although, Wagener and Martell continued in their statement by assuring those involved that “Riot remains fully committed to supporting all players in OCE, and we are excited for what’s to come in 2021 and beyond.”

Whichever way you look at this decision, it is a major blow for League of Legends teams, players and staff members in the region. With organizations having previously had to deal with the loss of the operating subsidy, the future of such companies is now more than uncertain. Those involved are already believed to be putting their heads together to see what can be done.