Riot Games Opens Doors for League of Legends Community Tournaments

Life is set to become much easier for tournament organizers looking to host League of Legends competitions, as Riot Games has updated its Community Competition Guidelines. The changes remove several outdated restrictions, streamline licensing under a single community competition framework, and loosen rules around entry fees, sponsorships, prize pools, and spectator fees. In many cases, organizers won't even need Riot Games' approval to run an event.

What is New?

• One unified global framework across all supported regions and languages
• Removed tiered licensing systems in favor of a single community competition license
• Removed hard caps on:
  • Entry fees
  • Sponsorship revenue
  • Prize pools
  • Spectator fees
• Removed restrictions on multi-state high school competitions
• Removed restrictions on college competitions
  • Competition duration
  • Sponsorship or sanctioning by esports governing bodies
  • Number of colleges that can participate in a given competition
• Updated restricted sponsor categories
• Added a visibility form for competitions

As an organizer, you'll be free to run a League of Legends competition at "nearly any scale." According to Riot Games, the updated guidelines are designed to give event organizers greater independence while supporting the wider esports ecosystem and helping League of Legends continue to grow. However, some organizations will not be covered by the Community Competition License and will instead need to work directly with Riot Games through a separate process.

Which Competitions Are Covered by the New Guidelines?

Organizers are free to host a wide variety of League of Legends competitions, from local LAN events at universities and online community tournaments to larger-scale competitions. They can also set their own entry fees and secure sponsorship agreements, giving them greater flexibility to build sustainable events. According to Riot Games, the new guidelines impose no fixed caps on entry fees, sponsorship revenue, prize pools, or spectator ticketing.

While Riot Games has given organizers greater freedom to host events, there are still some restrictions on sponsorships that tournament organizers must follow. These are the sponsor categories that are not allowed:

• Gambling, sportsbooks, and casinos
• Fantasy esports operators (including daily fantasy)
• Prescription drugs or non-over-the-counter drugs, including CBD products
• Firearms, ammunition, weapons, and related accessories
• Pornography or adult content platforms
• Tobacco products or paraphernalia
• Alcohol products or intoxicants regulated by law
• Counterfeit or illegal virtual item marketplaces
• Sellers violating Riot’s Terms of Service
• Cryptocurrencies, NFTs, or unregulated financial instruments
• Political campaigns or political action committees
• Charities tied to partisan political or religious advocacy, or charities lacking established reputability
• Any sponsor or promotional content that includes or promotes material that is unlawful, threatening, obscene, harassing, discriminatory, or otherwise could reasonably be seen as harmful to the goodwill of Riot, VALORANT, or the broader community

Triumphant Ryze: A Reward for Tournament Winners

One of League of Legends' most iconic competitive rewards is making its return. During the early days of the game's esports scene, the Triumphant Ryze skin was awarded to winners of community competitions, and Riot Games is now bringing that tradition back. "Community competition has always been part of what makes League of Legends special," Riot Games said.

Players who win qualifying community competitions will once again be eligible to earn one of the game's most recognizable competitive rewards. As an organizer, there are a few steps you’ll need to follow to ensure your competition is eligible to award the Triumphant Ryze skin to its winner. You can check them out here.

With fewer restrictions on fees, sponsorships, prize pools, and event promotion, the changes could make it easier for organizers to build sustainable competitions and strengthen the game’s esports ecosystem.

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Featured Image Credit: Christina Oh/Riot Games

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