Rogue reportedly considering selling LEC spot

LoL Esports

July 13, 2024

Davide Xu

The LEC might see changes heading into next year: Rogue are considering selling their franchised LEC spot, as multiple parties have entered discussions with the org.

Image Credit: Michal Konkol/Riot Games

Falcons the primary candidate to take Rogue LEC spot

According to a report by Sheep Esports, Rogue’s parent company, Infinite Reality, has started discussions with other teams to sell the franchise slot. No deal has been finalized as of right now, though.

Team Falcons, a team from Saudi Arabia, is reportedly one of the candidates to acquire the slot. The team has joined other major game titles such as Rocket League or Counter-Strike 2. They tried to get Astralis’ slot back in 2022 but Riot Games blocked the deal from happening. Eventually, the slot was sold to Karmine Corp the following year.

Negotiations began last year

Based on the report by Sheep Esports, Team Falcons were already discussing with Rogue after the latter separated from KOI at the end of last year but it was once again rejected due to complications with Riot Games. With Saudi Arabia gaining traction with the Esports World Cup and major investments across different ecosystems, it’s still unclear what might happen this time around.

Team Falcons, however, are not the only teams interested in the slot. One of the main concerns, however, is the franchise slot’s valuation, given the volatile viewership. Last year, Astralis’ slot was valued at 26 million euros (October 2023). Before that, Team Heretics acquired a majority ownership of the slot left by Misfits Gaming, valued at around 45 million euros.

Sheep Esports revealed that Rogue would prefer a cash deal over equity. Throughout the years, Rogue has been decreasing its esports presence across different game titles, having dropped the Rocket League roster and let Fnatic take over their Rainbow Six Siege slot. Currently, Infinite Reality only owns the LEC slot and the Carolina Royal Ravens in the CDL.

Once considered one of the top teams in the LEC, Rogue has struggled to maintain the same results after merging with KOI. The team also failed to qualify for the LEC Season Finals this year, following a last-place finish in the LEC summer split.