One of the most famous teams in the League of Legends Championship Series (LCS), TSM, has taken the shocking decision to depart the LCS. According to TSM CEO Andy ‘Reginald’ Dinh, the decision to leave the LCS has been in the works for the previous three years.
This news comes on the heels of CLG’s merger with NRG and is a major blow to North American League of Legends. From the pre-franchise era all the way up to the present day, TSM is the only organisation to have competed in every split of the LCS.
League Of Legends (LoL): TSM Announces Departure from the LCS!
The question then becomes why TSM is quitting the LCS. Reginald claims that the desire to win a World Championship was the driving factor behind the choice. TSM is certain that opening an office in yet another top-tier market would help the company reach its lofty objective.
They will be reenergized by the challenge of competing in a new environment and will do whatever it takes to win the world championship.
As a result of TSM’s departure from the LCS, they will no longer hold the record for the most LCS championships ever won. Although they’ve been struggling as of late, making the playoffs just once in the last three splits, their early LCS dominance is undeniable.
Honestly at this point all I can say is… good fucking riddance.
While it's super sad to lose the TSM who defined the league for years, I already felt like we lost them years ago & it has felt clear TSM no longer cared about the LCS. https://t.co/Y5XhpKhdGp
— Isaac CB (@AzaelOfficial) May 20, 2023
The departure of former title sponsor FTX also played a role in TSM’s choice to begin anew. When FTX went for bankruptcy in the United States in 2021, it ended their collaboration with TSM, for which they had signed a ten-year, $210 million naming rights deal.
TSM’s esports programme has been severely reduced due to the company’s financial difficulties, including layoffs and the resignation of several key members of staff.
The future of TSM’s LCS standing is now the biggest unknown. A cost of $20 million is reportedly what TSM wants for their LCS slot. Since TSM’s initial round of buyer talks in May, the number of interested parties has been whittled down to a dozen companies, most of which operate in the media or conventional sports industries.
The asking price is far less than the rumoured $33 million that Evil Geniuses paid to secure Echo Fox’s place in the LCS in exchange for the team.
TSM’s relocation to a new area suggests a fresh start for the company. However, they run the danger of alienating a huge segment of their loyal following if they make this change. TSM’s future and the state of professional League of Legends are up in the air after their decision to leave the LCS.
