It’s a sad day for Australian esports fans, as Riot Games is closing down its Australian operations. The company has made esports staples League of Legends and Valorant and the mobile card game Legends of Runeterra. 

Riot Games Shutdown

Kotaku reports that this news spread quickly in the Australian League of Legends scene. This scene grew along with the Oceanic Pro League (OPL), where Australian pro gamers played. Soon after the rumors spread, Riot Games confirmed the news in a blog post. 

Riot's Australian office and the Oceanic Pro League are shutting down. https://t.co/4UaeB8fZtX pic.twitter.com/OCO36OZxT4

— Kotaku (@Kotaku) October 7, 2020

In the statement, Riot admitted that the Australian esports market could not support the OPL anymore. The company decided to dissolve the OPL and close its Sydney office. Before the closure, Riot had already downsized the OPL.

What’s Next for the Australian Market?

Australia won’t disappear from global League tournaments. So, if you’re a fan, you might just end up following Australian pro gamers elsewhere. Moreover, Riot will add OCE teams to the LCS in 2021. With this move, OCE players won’t need to fill out import slots on tournament rosters.  

However, Riot is dissolving all OPL teams. Team owners would have to watch as Riot voids their investments. Moreover, Riot will not offer extra LCS slots for existing team owners.  

What’s Next for Riot Games?

In the statement, Riot said the ten full-time staff members at the Sydney office would have to find new jobs. Moreover, technical support for the region will now come from North America.

The post Riot Games Is Shutting Down The Oceanic Pro League first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Rob Sterling

Spotify has signed an esports deal with Riot Games. Under this deal, Spotify will become the official audio partner of the MOBA hit League of Legends. Riot Games made the massively popular game. The streaming company will also create more audio content for Riot.

Spotify and Esports

In a blog post, Spotify announced the deal. According to the post, League of Legends is the biggest esport in the world. In 2019, League of Legends tournaments popped up in 37 countries on five continents. The game also set an audience record that year. Around 21.8 million viewers watched the 2019 World Championship Final round.

Spotify also says that its League of Legends official soundtrack gains 4.8 million streams every month. These users represent both gamers and casual listeners. 

Spotify’s Deal with Riot Games

As Riot Game’s official audio partner, Spotify plans to create an “official LoL hub” for League. In this hub, users will find new League music, podcasts, and playlists. The Verge says that these playlists include the “Official League of Legends” and “This is League of Legends” sets. Moreover, Spotify would also show users a look behind the scenes of the production of the Worlds Anthem for League’s World Championships.

Spotify is launching an exclusive League of Legends esports podcast https://t.co/7oGULIsCm4 pic.twitter.com/XzNGze83Je

— The Verge (@verge) August 24, 2020

Spotify Podcasts

In recent years, Spotify has expanded into the podcast market. The streaming company had bought Gimlet Media and The Ringer.  Both companies create the biggest podcasts today. Other celebrities like Michelle Obama also made exclusive Spotify podcasts. The company might also release a new feature that adds videos to podcasts.  

The post Spotify Signs Esports Deal With Riot Games first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Sam Arnold