LEC Minimum Age to Play Set at 18 Sources State

Sources tied to Esports Journalist LEC Wooloo state that the LEC minimum age to play will be set to 18 as of 2024.

In an FAQ posted by Riot Games on January 12, 2023, they stated that the company wanted to initially set the minimum age requirement for 2023. However, they reverted this policy change before the season began due to a re-evaluation.

For the 2023 season, the age limit remained to be set at 17 years old. The reasoning for the change from 17 to 18 remains unknown as Riot has not publicly announced why. However, it can be perceived that they wanted to make this change to open new sponsorship opportunities. These opportunities would be for both the competing teams' organizations as well as Riot themselves. Potential new sponsorships could include gambling, alcohol, and crypto related companies. This is due to their requirement to be at least 18 years old to participate in.

The change itself would not impact most players in current rosters but could slightly impact young rookies having to wait an extra year to make their debut in the LEC if they were to join at 17. The future of sponsorships could alter due to recent controversies regarding gambling and crypto. The controversies exist both inside and outside the scene, specifically with FTX partnering with TSM in the past. Additionally, streaming websites such as Twitch and Kick have had lots of awareness brought to their major policy differences. This sparked awareness and discussions about the advertisement of gambling and crypto in the gaming community. Public backlash may prevent this change from going through or being reverted in the future.

Featured Image Source: Riot Games