Activision-Blizzard isn’t the only company shuttering overseas holdings this week, it seems: Riot Games is closing one down too, this time the company’s Sydney, Australia, office. Riot’s Malte Wagener and Tom Martell explain that League of Legends’ esports Oceanic Pro League “has not met [the company’s] goals for the league” and that they “do not believe that the market” can support the league “in its current form.” Consequently, the OPL is effectively merging into another league, while the Sydney office bolstering it is closing entirely.
“So today we are announcing the dissolution of the OPL and the closure of Riot’s Sydney office, as it primarily focused on operating the league,” Riot writes. “However, this is not the end of League esports in OCE. We remain committed to supporting our pro players in the region with a path to continue their careers moving forward. Beginning with the 2021 season, we are adding OCE to the competitive territory for the LCS, so OCE players will no longer take an import slot on LCS rosters. This will open up new opportunities in North America for top OPL players. We will also hold qualifying tournaments in OCE for both MSI and Worlds in 2021, ensuring teams from the region will continue to be represented at our two major global events next season.”
We don’t yet know how many staffers are being laid off from the Sydney location, which according to GIbiz was opened in 2013.
