In a major move to empower grassroots esports, Riot Games has unveiled a significantly revised set of guidelines for League of Legends community competitions. The updated framework, announced on the official LoL Esports site, strips away many of the previous restrictions that required organizers to seek prior approval from Riot. Now, most community events—from local LANs to online brackets—can proceed without waiting for a green light, as long as organizers follow the new rules and submit their event through a simple visibility form. This shift signals Riot's commitment to fostering a more vibrant and accessible competitive ecosystem across all of League's evolving game modes.
A Single, Streamlined Framework
Previously, community organizers had to navigate a patchwork of licensing requirements and restrictions that varied by event type and scale. The new guidelines consolidate everything into one unified community competition license. This removes outdated restrictions and replaces them with a single, clear framework that applies to all events, whether you're running a small college tournament, a PC café LAN, or a large invitational. The goal is to reduce bureaucratic hurdles and let organizers focus on what matters most: creating great experiences for players and fans.
Financial Flexibility and Sponsor Rules
One of the most significant changes is the elimination of fixed caps on entry fees, sponsorship revenue, prize pools, and spectator ticketing. Riot now trusts organizers to act reasonably and provide fair value to participants and partners. However, certain sponsor categories remain off-limits, including those that promote tobacco, gambling, or other restricted products. Organizers are encouraged to review the full list of restricted sponsors in the official guidelines to ensure compliance. This flexibility aims to help organizers build sustainable events that can grow and thrive over time.
Asset Usage and Branding Guidelines
Organizers can now use League of Legends assets—such as logos, splash art, and champion images—to promote their competitions, but only in ways that are reasonably necessary for event marketing. Assets must remain unaltered and true to their original appearance; cropping and resizing are fine, but modifying the artwork is not. Importantly, organizers cannot imply that Riot Games or LoL Esports officially endorses or operates their event. Event names and promotional materials must clearly communicate that the competition is not an official Riot event. Riot may also provide asset kits to help organizers create professional-looking materials while maintaining brand consistency.
Broadcasting and Content Rights
Community competitions can be streamed on any online platform, and organizers may charge spectator fees for online broadcasts. However, linear television broadcasts remain prohibited. By operating under these guidelines, organizers grant Riot a broad, royalty-free license to use, share, and adapt tournament footage and related content for promotional purposes. This helps Riot spotlight community events across its channels and partner platforms, giving organizers additional exposure. Riot encourages all organizers to submit their events through the visibility form (using the password 'riotevent') to be considered for promotion and future support programs.
Key Takeaways for Organizers
No more waiting for Riot approval in most cases—just follow the guidelines and submit your event.
No fixed caps on prize pools, entry fees, or sponsorship revenue—but act responsibly and avoid deceptive practices.
Use official assets for promotion, but don't modify them or imply Riot endorsement.
Stream freely online, but avoid linear TV broadcasts.
Submit your event through the visibility form to unlock promotional opportunities and support.
Source: Riot Games – 'LoL Esports Community Competition Guidelines' (https://lolesports.com/en-us/news/lol-esports-community-competition-guidelines)