KOI’s agreement with Rogue raises the LEC price tag to new heights

The demand for spots in the LEC competition is at an all-time high, but at what point is the slot not worth it?

It’s been a wild few years for LEC fans, with different teams rebranding, selling, and merging to gain a competitive edge. Not all acquisitions turn out to be smooth sailing though, considering Astralis are reportedly trying to leave the LEC after two years.

KOI close to partnership with Rogue

With so much fan pressure being put on big brands from the regional leagues to promote to the LEC, the price for the slot continues to skyrocket. Recent reports suggest that the Spanish organization KOI is very close to reaching an agreement to merge with Rogue, and thus join the LEC. KOI and Karmine Corp are two of the most popular teams in Europe, in terms of fan base and viewership.

Fueled by the star power and name weight of the owners, the team quickly grew in popularity, constantly reaching six-digit viewership in their matches. Backed by former LVP caster Ibai Llanos and FC Barcelona’s player Gerard Piqué, the team certainly doesn’t lack resources. But with each acquisition of a LEC spot raising the price tag, where does this end?

LEC spots at record prices

Recently, the Misfits corporation sold their shares and spot in the LEC to Team Heretics for a price tag rumored to exceed $40 million. Going back just a year earlier, Schalke sold their spot to Team BDS for less than half of that. And with big brands like Carmine Korp and NaVi creating auction wars every time a slot is made available, this trend is unlikely to stop.

Reports say that other Spanish teams like 2022 LVP Summer Split finalists, Giants, and CS:GO team Case Esports have made an offer, but for the last two weeks, only KOI are said to be negotiating with Rogue. Karmine Corp reportedly got out of the race after they rejected Rogue’s offer of $20 million for 40% of the spot. Meanwhile, KOI’s deal is allegedly for the same price but a 50/50 split, with KOI taking over the entire LEC infrastructure that Rogue has, including facilities, team, and staff. According to the reports, the team will also rebrand to KOI Rogue or just KOI, while Rogue’s Academy team will transfer from the Polish Superliga to the Spanish LVP in place of KOI’s team, but retain its name.

European League off Legends

This seems like a lot of compromises being made for KOI to be able to participate in the LEC, but who are the real winners? Will these large investments pay off? Did Karmine Corp make the right decision to hold out until they get a full spot? With slot prices climbing at this rate, will the LEC expand to 12 teams any time soon?

Whatever the future holds, it’s safe to say that Rogue made the right choice. They cashed in on the LEC hype train, while still retaining their LEC team. They have built a strong team that consistently dominates domestically and represents Europe at Worlds, but have lacked in the branding department. This partnership should benefit both sides, and be the cornerstone of Europe’s next League powerhouse brand after Fnatic and G2 Esports.

Header: Riot Games