LCK to introduce player salary cap

After various discussions between the LCK and the ten teams that make up the league, the Korean League of Legends league is reportedly considering implementing a salary cap for players.

This is certainly something that was a long time coming after it was revealed several weeks ago that players were being paid more than $6M per year in the LPL. However, this was before the Chinese league implemented a salary cap in 2020 at $1.5M. So the situation in China is a bit more controlled regarding this issue. However, this is not the case in the LCK, as there is talk of many players being paid multi-million dollar salaries.

LCK to implement a salary cap for players

According to a report revealed by the portal Inven, the South Korean League of Legends league, LCK, is very close to implementing a new salary cap for players in the league. However, the way to introduce it and the date have not yet been revealed.

At the end of 2021, we started hearing about a possible salary cap to be implemented in the LCK, as many teams fully agreed. However, T1, the region’s most popular and successful team, opposed it, and everything fell apart.

The main concern around implementing a salary cap in the LCK is that many stars or talented players might leave the league searching for better contracts. As a result, the level of the LCK could drop significantly, and, as we know, the South Korean league has blown away its rivals in recent international tournaments.

Change of opinion in the LCK

According to the published report, it is very likely that the organizations’ views have changed, as there is talk that they want to ensure the long-term sustainability of the league and the teams themselves.

This is completely understandable for the teams; if they spend a lot of money on player salaries and the players do not meet expectations, it is a loss for them. However, while this is part of the sport, as not everyone can win, having such high salaries in the league can cause organizations serious financial problems.

Without going too far, we can mention T1, the most popular LoL team in the LCK and one of the most popular worldwide, suffering huge losses. According to the same Inven report, the team’s base organization, SK Telecom CST1, reported losses of nearly $140,000,000 in the audit published in April 2023.

The LCK would follow in the footsteps of the LPL

After knowing this news, we realized that the LCK could follow in the footsteps of the LPL, China’s main League of Legends. However, remember that since the beginning of 2021, the LPL has implemented a salary cap for players.

In addition, a few weeks ago, there were some revelations regarding the minimum salary for players in the LPL. According to Wang “Xiaopeng” Peng, a former Top Esports player, the minimum salary for players in the LPL is €2,700. This means that the lowest-paid players in the LPL would have a salary of €32,400 per year, an incredibly low figure compared to the aforementioned €6.6M.

Finally, there is still nothing official from the LCK regarding the player salary cap or a date when it will be implemented. However, we at Fragster will keep you updated on every piece of information that is revealed.

Header: LCK | Twitter