The Rise of League of Legends Esports

by Richard Janvrin, May 30, 2025

Today, esports and League of Legends, arguably the most popular Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA), developed by Riot Games, are synonymous with each other.

When you look at online sportsbooks with esports betting available, League of Legends is almost always available.

A number of games have pushed esports forward, including World of Warcraft, Counter-Strike, and more, but League of Legends is among the most popular in the ecosystem.

Below, I’ll examine how League of Legends became such a massive esports, including the game’s origins, early competitions, the rise of key tournaments, prominent players, and more.

Let’s check out everything to do with League of Legends esports.

• How League of Legends Started
• Early Competitive Play
• The Rise of the LCS and Other Leagues
• World Championships and More Growth
• Prominent Figures and Teams
• The Business Behind It
• The Impact In Culture

How League of Legends Started

As mentioned, League of Legends was developed by Riot Games and launched on October 27, 2009. Riot was founded by two college friends, Marc Merrill and Brandon Beck. They were greatly inspired by games like Warcraft III and Defense of the Ancients (DotA). Their goal was to build a game that, really, began the MOBA genre, and they wanted to continue updating it as a live-service game.

In the beginning, League of Legends was free-to-play, which was nearly unheard of in 2009. They made money off of cosmetics, known as microtransactions.

With it being free-to-play and the purchase optional, more players were able to get in and play, and the community exploded. Riot Games got independent funding, and they were able to build the game they wanted to.

Their goal was to have fun but also to change competitive online gaming.

So, the plan was for League of Legends esports to be massive all along.

Early Competitive Play

With this mindset from the outset of the game, it’s no surprise that League of Legends spawned a lot of competition. The game quickly saw conversations online. There were clips of players playing on Twitch, and videos with guides and highlights spawned on YouTube. There were many local tournaments that only grew the competitive scene, and Riot embraced it.

In July 2010, tournaments were being promoted on forums, and 2011 Riot hosted a global event.

The first League of Legends World Championship happened at DreamHack Summer 2011 in Sweden. Eight esports League of Legends teams from numerous countries competed in the LoL esports tournament for a $100,000 prize pool. The European squad, Fnatic, won and took home the $50,000 grand prize. The online viewership amounted to about 1.6 million, with peak concurrent viewership of about 210,000.

After this being a massive success, Riot continued to invest with the Season 2 Championship in Los Angeles. There was a $2 million prize pool with half of that going to the winners. Not only that, but Riot added an additional $3 million for supporting third-pary leagues globally.

These funds helped more tournaments run, furthering the competitive landscape.

By the end of Season 2, pro League of Legends was play was further cemented.

The Rise of the LCS and Other Leagues

After so much success over the previous few years, Riot Games began formalizing a more competitive ecosystem. In 2013, the League Championship Series (LCS) officially franchised leagues across Europe and North America. This included weekly play, salaries, and a schedule. This was a far cry from random tournaments; it was much more “professional sports” like. Teams were based in cities like professional leagues, leading to sponsorships and more investments.

This led to even more teams and competitions, including the LCK in South Korea and the LPL in China. By 2021, there were 12 regional leagues worldwide. The franchise model was now in North America, Europe, China, and Korea.

A number of professional sports stars, like former NBA star Rick Fox, bought an LCS team and sold it four years later for $33 million.

This led to massive competition, including rivalries and talent developing year-round. In 2015, there was also the Mid-Season Invitational, which pitted the spring champions from each region against one another.

Of course, though, the World Championship was held each fall, and that included the best of the best.

By this point and into the 2020s, League of Legends’ grip on esports was simply unlike anything else, as millions of dollars were spent on salaries, team purchases, tournament prize pools, and more.

World Championships and More Growth

The League of Legends World Championship was an esports marquee event. In 2013, the finals were at the Los Angeles Staples Center. The League of Legends esports viewership surged to more than 30 million. This led to Riot hosting the finals in different countries and selling out events.

The League of Legends esports event included live music, holographic dragons, and more.

Inn 2018, the “Worlds” had about 100 million viewers, which is up there with major sporting events like the Super Bowl.

In 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, the World Championship was held in Shanghai. Despite limited attendance, there was still an excellent product on display for fans to enjoy.

Prominent Figures and Teams

Over the course of League of Legends’ history, a number of prominent players and teams have come and gone.

The most popular and the best among pro League of Legends players is Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok. He’s won three world titles and made Korea a dominant force in LoL esports.

He’s widely accepted as the Michael Jordan or Tom Brady of esports.

Then there are teams like Fnatic, which won the first-ever World Championship in 2011. One of the members, Shushei, recently passed away after a battle with cancer. Gragas was his go-to, and a personalized skin in his honor is still available for sale well over a decade later.

With these prominent pro League of Legends players and teams, rivalries form and keep the drama and intrigue alive and well.

The Business Behind It

As mentioned, League of Legends is free to play, but it makes its money with microtransactions such as skins, battle passes, and some content. These help make things like prize pools, events, and team stipends possible. Riot will also sell media rights and has sponsorships.

Franchises have been rumored to be about $10 million as well, creating another source of revenue for Riot.

The Impact In Culture

If you’re not a fan of video games, it’s hard to realize how massive League of Legends has been for esports. It’s been broadcast on platforms like ESPN and is a staple on major Asian networks. There have been many collaborations with artists and streaming services, too.

In 2022, League of Legends participated in the Asia Games, which further cemented its status as a “for real” industry.

Today, some colleges will offer LoL esports scholarships to kids to play on their squads.

So, what started as two college friends who were fans of games like Warcraft III has morphed into the most prominent esports juggernaut today.

And it doesn’t look like pro League of Legends play slow down any time soon.