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Rare Atom Sells LPL spot; More teams to reportedly follow suit
Earlier today, Rare Atom announced the selling of their LPL spot. In the Weibo post, Rare Atom thanked the fans for the three years since joining the league in 2021 and announced their departure from all League of Legends operations.
Rare Atom’s exit is a sign of the financial struggles that have been plaguing LPL over the past year. Multiple industry pundits have hinted at the region’s eventual inevitable damnation.
Chinese League of Legends Might be in Trouble
After a successful 2023 where League of Legends’ presence in China was ubiquitous, 2024 saw multiple organizations grappling with bankruptcy, struggling to make ends meet. The year also saw immense cost-cutting and salary cuts for multiple teams.
The complete turnaround in a year is unexpected and can be traced to the country’s economic struggle due to the ongoing trade war. Additionally, the viewership numbers of the league have tanked in 2024 compared to previous years.
While many suggest the decrease in the popularity of the game stems from the inability of the LPL teams to secure the Worlds title, the major contributing factor is an increase in the popularity of competitors, most notably the rise of VCT China in 2024.
Rare Atom is the first of reportedly multiple teams that are looking to exit LPL citing financial troubles. The first LPL departure has dropped the total teams to 16 and it is expected to drop further before the new season starts.
In the explanation for the purchase of Rare Atom, the LPL cited “Based entirely on the club’s own willingness, the League has comprehensively evaluated the application and reached an agreement with the club requesting the re-purchase”
You can read the complete announcement here:
Since the establishment of the LPL franchise system, the League and its clubs have witnessed the rapid development of League of Legends esports, co-creating the current ecosystem in the LPL.
Meanwhile, we have also continuously taken into account the feedback from viewers to further enhance the competition experience and ensure the quality of the matches.
To make the LPL's ecosystem even more dynamic and competitive, the League has decided to initiate a repurchase of certain club slots.
Based entirely on the club’s own willingness, the League has comprehensively evaluated the application and reached an agreement with the club requesting the repurchase.
Rare Atom Esports Club (RA) has reached a consensus with the League that it will no longer participate in the LPL and LDL (League Development League) starting January 1, 2025. The League will assist the team in managing player placements and completing follow-up repurchase procedures.
RA Esports Club joined the League family in 2021. Over the past three years, RA has embraced the team spirit of "Dream Boldly, Create the Extraordinary," fostering numerous talented players and contributing to the sustainable growth of the esports ecosystem.
We once again thank RA Esports Club for their unwavering support and partnership, and we wish RA continued success in the broader esports ecosystem!
With the off-season advancing further and multiple LPL organizations on the brink of bankruptcy, more LPL teams are likely to follow Rare Atoms footsteps and step away for League of Legends all-together.
Featured Image Credits: LPL // Riot Games
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