Riot Games has announced today that it will shut down its Australian operations by closing its Sydney office and dissolving the Oceanic Pro League (OPL), placing the professional League of Legends scene in the OCE region now in jeopardy. Though there will be no professional league for OCE anymore, qualifying tournaments for the 2021 Mid-Season Invitational and World Championship will still be held to send teams to represent the region. OCE pro players will also no longer take up an import slot in North America's LCS league which may open up new opportunities for those already in Los Angeles and now disenfranchised.
Though the operations surrounding the Oceanic professional League of Legends scene will be ending, Riot Games will "remain fully committed to supporting all players in OCE." It is expected that the OCE server will continue to operate, albeit in a diminished capacity.
The news has come as a major shock to the OCE League of Legends community following the region's best-ever international performance at the 2020 World Championship where Legacy Esports tied North America's Team Liquid in the Play-In Group Stage at 3-1, even upsetting Europe's MAD Lions. However, the OPL representatives were unfortunately swept 3-0 by China's LGD Gaming in the Knockout Stage. It will be interesting to see if there is a future for the members of the Legacy Esports roster following such a strong performance.
While the news is upsetting and disappointing, there are clear reasons behind this decision. The OCE server has the lowest population out of all the regions League of Legends is available in, with the server practically only being used by Australian and New Zealander players. The OPL also had the lowest viewership of all professional leagues even compared to other minor regions, with its matches being broadcasted at the same time as premier showings from China's LPL and South Korea's LCK.
The supposed silver lining of OCE players now no longer being considered imports for the LCS could be a double-edged sword. OCE players already in the LCS such as Victor "FBI" Huang of Golden Guardians and Ibrahim "Fudge" Allami of Cloud9 Academy will see their stock rise, but the lack of infrastructure and stability in OCE means that American teams may find it difficult and not worthwhile to scout the region for talent.
In the meantime, Riot Games has been looking to expand into other regions. While their initial attempt to connect with the Middle East region did not go to plan, there is an expectation that a server will open for players in that part of the world, possibly located in Saudi Arabia.
League of Legends is available on PC.
Source: LoL Esports