NLC Left Without Tournament Organiser as League ApS Steps Down Amid Payment Crisis
TL;DR
- Riot Games has confirmed the NLC, the primary League of Legends league for the UK, Ireland, and Nordic countries, is without a tournament organiser after League ApS informed Riot it is "no longer in a position to operate the league," putting the Spring Split in doubt.
- The collapse follows allegations of late payments and unpaid invoices to staff, League ApS declining certain late fees, and a catastrophic viewership decline of 90-94% in hours watched and peak audience compared to last year's record-breaking NLC season.
The NLC's 2025 season was genuinely special. Record viewership, arena shows across three countries, a K-pop performance, and the kind of cultural moment that regional esports rarely generates. Twelve months later, the league's tournament organiser has folded, unpaid invoices are circulating publicly, and the Spring Split may not happen at all.
The speed of the reversal is staggering even by esports standards.
What Actually Happened
League ApS, the company running the NLC, has told Riot Games it can no longer operate the league. The announcement came alongside a trail of allegations from staff and talent regarding late payments and outstanding invoices. League ApS acknowledged the payment issues in a statement three weeks ago, confirmed the league does pay its talent, and said it would resolve outstanding invoices but would "decline certain late fees."
Riot's response was measured and non-committal on specifics: "We are actively assessing the situation and aligning on next steps to ensure continuity and stability for the competition... We will share more details on what this means for the Spring Split and the path ahead before it begins at the end of March. Thank you for your patience and continued support."
The Spring Split was due to begin later this month. Whether it does is now genuinely uncertain.
The Viewership Collapse That Tells the Full Story
The payment crisis alone would be damaging. The context around it makes the situation look far more like a league in structural freefall.
Last year, NLC Winter peaked at over 360,000 viewers with more than 4 million hours watched. This year, peak viewership fell to just over 32,000 with 224,000 hours watched. That's a 90-94% collapse across both metrics.
The cause isn't mysterious. Caedrel and Los Ratones drove last year's extraordinary numbers. When they left, League ApS responded by pivoting toward a content-creator format, fielding teams managed by Dumbs, Sloppy Walrus, and Drututt, including one starting a Platinum-ranked streamer. Wildcards rules allowed squads to swap in former high-level pros, adding a gimmick layer to a format that had replaced competitive integrity as its core product.
They also fired experienced broadcast talent Hiprain and Troubleinc in the process.
None of it worked. You can't replace an organic phenomenon like Los Ratones with a manufactured content format, especially when the production quality and broadcast team have simultaneously been downgraded.
What Happens to the NLC Now
Riot's language about "continuity and stability" suggests they aren't ready to let the NLC die. Current champions Verdant are still alive at EMEA Masters Winter Playoffs with an Esports World Cup qualification route potentially open. The league's competitive ecosystem hasn't collapsed entirely.
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