This week, we learned that Riot has been dishonest in their communications to media outlets, hindering their ability to bring coverage to 2021 Worlds. After attempts to resolve this privately and amicably, we believe it is important to share some insight with our audiences.

In early September, our two media outlets — Dot Esports and KORIZON Esports — approached Riot in regards to 2021 Worlds coverage. Riot’s global esports press executives emphatically told us that no media would be allowed to attend the event in person in Iceland. Our media outlets were prepared to cooperate to make on-site coverage possible, whether it be providing proof of vaccination and/or undergoing a specific quarantine as imposed by Riot, or other safety measures. We were told that the venue where Worlds is held restricts the number of people allowed on-site — so media attendance was deprioritized and no media would be allowed to attend. We confirmed that regional Riot offices also communicated the same message to their local endemic outlets. The situation was understandable.

Several days ago, we learned that Riot was not truthful.

We’ve been made aware of and confirmed with Riot that multiple Chinese third-party media organizations who are LPL-registered content creators are in attendance in Iceland. This information was kept from us or other media outlets until we actively inquired. Those outlets are attending Worlds in person and are receiving special access to the event that other outlets, who are covering the event remotely, are not. They’ve been able to create unique content, from filming and photographing backstage and propagating this content to their own media channels, therefore fulfilling the definition of journalism.

We understand the importance of on-site access and the benefit it provides for the audience. We are happy from one media outlet to another that these specific media outlets have been granted access to cover Worlds on site. However, we are incredibly disappointed in Riot’s global esports department and their actions:

We’ve asked Riot if a media representative were to travel to Iceland to cover the grand finals tomorrow if they would be granted access. The answer we received, again, was no, as Riot’s initiative to not allow third-party media outlets on site still stands, which contradicts the current situation of those outlets who are present.

In those earlier conversations in September, we outlined how pivotal endemic media are to esports. Third-party media coverage is an integral part of any professional sport and important to its trajectory and growth. The content that media outlets create significantly boosts interest to the esport and its individuals, directly increasing viewership and long-term audience engagement. However, the value we provide to League and its fans not being recognized by Riot is heavily discouraging about the future of this esport.

Speaking to our colleagues who cover traditional sports, media coverage is not an afterthought in their ecosystems and creating access is not only important, but prioritized as a part of each and every event. Given this and Riot’s increasing trend to disregard media presence at their international events, it is distressing to the current and future trajectory of League of Legends esports, its viewership, and its integrity — all values we deeply care about.

Over the past two days, we’ve attempted to speak with Riot about this and while their representatives have acknowledged these media members are attending when questions were presented, their response otherwise is disappointing. We would like to find a common ground with them — and we’d like to be given fair and equitable access not just for our outlets, but all outlets who cover pro League of Legends.

Unfortunately, at this time, that seems to not be the case.

- Jacob Wolf (Dot Esports) & Ashley Kang (Korizon)

                          有關2021世界賽的媒體存取的陳述 - Jacob Wolf & Ashley Kang

              來自 Dot Esports 的 Jacob Wolf 與 Korizon 的 Ashely Kang 的聯合聲明