Professional League of Legends in the Oceanic region is “dead” again for the second time since 2020, with the League Circuit Oceania (LCO) undergoing a revamp heading into next year.
In what feels like an announcement of an announcement that didn’t exactly touch on the professional scene’s future in the Australian-based region, Riot Games said it was “exploring solutions for a new OCE competitive circuit” for League in a Friday, Sept. 20 press release. “We have decided to revamp League of Legends esports in Oceania. This wasn’t an easy decision, but it’s one we believe is necessary to adapt to the evolving landscape and resource-intensive demands that come with operating an esports league,” Riot wrote.
It wasn’t made clear whether the future league would keep its LCO moniker, but given Riot thanked the ESL FACEIT Group, Guinevere Capital, staff members, and players in the statement, it feels like a full rework is on the way for the region. Unfortunately, no details surrounding this revamp were shared, leaving many fans and players skeptical.
“Our focus will be on creating a more streamlined model for OCE that will have a pathway into our APAC League esports ecosystem in 2025,” Riot closed. Details on the next season’s league will be shared “soon”—but this was far from the assurance many in the scene had hoped to read.
The LCO’s dissolution comes just three years after it was founded and four years after the Riot-run Oceanic Pro League (OPL) collapsed in 2020. ESL and Guinevere Capital acquired a license to run the LCO for three years, but after numerous organizations pulled the plug in late 2023, many were worried for the future of competitive League Down Under.
Between the loss of OCE’s direct spot at Worlds to a shift to Asia-Pacific residency and drama surrounding organizations failing to pay players, OCE League fought on as it always has—and despite a cloudy future, many in the region still remain optimistic the scene can be salvaged.
LCO league manager Tim “Carbon” Wendel thanked all involved in the LCO over the past three years, making a special note to the players who had “put their lives on hold to chase their dream” and those behind the scenes who helped make the league tick. “It’s been a privilege to live out my dream over this past decade. The LCO was awesome.”
Dot Esports reached out to Riot for further details about the future of League in OCE but had not received a response by the time this article was published.
