Riot Games has announced a change in the operator for the Northern League of Legends Championship (NLC). The license for the NLC will be transferred from Freaks 4U Gaming to Danish organization Leagues.gg for the upcoming 2024 season. This move aims to bring all elements of the league under the same geographic region, as the previous managers were based in Germany.
Leagues.gg, a Copenhagen-based tournament organizer, has been increasingly involved in the operations and execution of the NLC throughout 2023. They have been the endemic tournament operator of the league and will now take complete control once Riot Games approves the license transfer. With their focus on regional League of Legends and Counter-Strike tournaments since 2017, Leagues.gg is more community-oriented in Northern Europe compared to their predecessor.
The transfer of the license comes at a time of significant changes in the European regional League of Legends ecosystem. The NLC, previously consisting of six divisions, has now been reduced to two main divisions, with a focus on the highest tiers of Northern European talent. This restructuring aims to refine the league and recover from the loss of investment that led to the departure of prominent academy teams.
Freaks 4U Gaming, which had control of the license since 2021, has faced criticism for the issues faced by the NLC. The league lost accreditation from Riot Games, leading to the departure of big organizations and a decline in grassroots League of Legends. The broadcast quality was also affected, and overall administration was deemed clueless. These factors contributed to a decrease in funding for organizations involved in the league.
For lower divisions, teams will now compete in smaller regional tournaments such as the UK Esports League (UKEL), which is also licensed by Riot Games to Leagues.gg. This allows for a more focused approach to regional talent development.
Freaks 4U Gaming’s departure from the NLC follows their loss of the license to run Germany’s ESL Meisterschaft in Counter-Strike due to changes in ESL’s regional leagues. The organization has faced financial difficulties in 2023, along with many other companies in the esports and gaming industry.
The qualification process for the 2024 NLC season will begin on November 20, with regional teams competing for a place in Division Two. This will be the final NLC tournament before Leagues.gg takes over the league’s license for the next season.
Source: DOTESPORTS
