Why did TSM leave the LCS? League drama explained

TSM have left the LCS, selling their slot to another organization, and are no longer involved in League of Legends esports at the moment. Here’s an explainer to break down what happened.

TSM CEO Andy ‘Reginald‘ Dinh announced on May 20, 2023, that the organization had taken the first steps toward transitioning to another tier-one region in League of Legends. The decision, which TSM have been working on “for the last three years”, according to Dinh, will mark the end of the team’s long tenure in the LCS.

The announcement was another blow to North American League of Legends, especially as it came right after CLG’s merger with NRG. The LCS has also seen its teams reduced down to just eight as both Golden Guardians and Evil Geniuses elected to leave the league at the end of 2023.

On September 20, 2023, TSM announced that it is no longer part of the LCS, ending months of uncertainty about the timing of the organization’s departure. This leaves the LCS without its winningest team, although in recent years they had only been a shadow of their former dominant selves despite some high-profile (and expensive) signings over the years.

Here’s what to know.

• Why are TSM leaving the LCS?
• What will happen with TSM’s LCS spot?
• Which region will TSM move to?
• TSM’s LCS legacy

Why are TSM leaving the LCS?

According to Reginald, the main reason TSM are leaving the LCS is because of the organization’s long-term ambition of winning a World Championship. To achieve that goal, he said, it is imperative to put down roots elsewhere.

“I believe moving to another region will reignite our hunger to doing whatever it takes to win a world championship,” he said.

TSM went to every Worlds between 2011 and 2017 but only attended one of the last four events before selling its LCS slot. The team’s highest finish came at the inaugural World Championship, where they placed third. Since then, they have only reached the playoffs twice (2012 and 2014).

TSM’s World Championship record:

• 2011: 3rd
• 2012: 5th-8th
• 2013: 11th-12th
• 2014: 5th-8th
• 2015: 14-16th
• 2016: 9th-12th
• 2017: 9th-11th
• 2018: Did not qualify
• 2019: Did not qualify
• 2020: 13th-16th
• 2021: Did not qualify
• 2022: Did not qualify
• 2023: Did not qualify

Another possible reason TSM might look for a fresh start for their League of Legends division is the loss of title sponsor FTX. The cryptocurrency exchange had agreed to a ten-year, $210 million naming rights deal with TSM only in 2021, but the organization was forced to suspend the partnership in November 2022 after FTX filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States.

When announcing the partnership with FTX, TSM referred to it as the biggest deal in the history of esports. Without a surprise, the company has taken a big financial hit from FTX’s collapse, laying off staff and scaling back its esports program. Several high-profile employees subsequently left the company, including COO Walter Wang, VP of Esports Operations Dominic Kallas, and League of Legends General Manager Yang ‘Glen’ Po-Jen.

In March 2023, just a month after TSM withdrew from Rainbow Six, the Sports Business Journal reported that the organization was considering selling its LCS spot and pausing some of its esports divisions.

What will happen with TSM’s LCS spot?

On September 20, Shopify Rebellion announced that it had purchased TSM’s slot in the LCS. Neither organization has disclosed the fee, but The New York Times reporter Kellen Browning said that Shopify Rebellion spent around $10 million – half of TSM’s reported initial asking price.

This will be Shopify Rebellion’s first experience in League of Legends esports. The North American organization also fields teams in Dota 2, Halo, Rocket League, Starcraft, and Valorant.

The deal for the LCS spot included TSM’s roster, however, Shopify only retained one player, Jason ‘WildTurtle’ Tran, as a substitute after the offseason concluded.

Which region will TSM move to?

In his announcement video, Reginald said that TSM would move to another tier-one region. This means one of the LCK, the LPL or the LEC.

In July 2022, Dexerto revealed that TSM had explored the possibility of leaving the LCS and entering the LEC by acquiring the spot that belonged to Misfits.

However, everything now points toward TSM setting its sights on competing in the LPL. According to independent reporter Jacob Wolf, rumblings about TSM’s interest in entering the Chinese league go as far back as November 2022.

Riot Games

TSM’s banner is now a thing of the past in the LCS

Moving to the LPL is an appealing proposition, given the region’s massive player base and competitive strength. After all, three of the last five World Championships — and four of the last five Mid-Season Invitationals — were won by LPL teams. The MSI 2023 grand final was an all-LPL clash between JD Gaming and Bilibili Gaming.

If TSM ends up moving to the LPL, they will follow in the footsteps of Swedish organization NIP, which acquired the Victory Five organization in August 2021, though they entered the league only in the Spring of 2023.

The organization also updated fans about their ambitions to join a new LoL league in February 2024, saying that it is working toward “acquiring a League of Legends franchise slot… by the end of 2024.”

TSM’s LCS legacy

TSM remains the most successful team in LCS history, with seven titles, one more than Cloud9.

While TSM have undoubtedly left an indelible mark on the LCS and North American League of Legends, many have criticized the organization for its lack of investment in recent years. The decision to abandon the struggling region at such a critical moment has also left a bitter in the mouths of North American fans and those trying to rebuild the LCS. Still, some will argue that this will be a positive in the long run as it will open the door to an organization that is more committed to the league. 

“Honestly at this point all I can say is… good f***ing riddance,” said LCS caster Isaac ‘Azael’ Cummings-Bentley.

The last two years have been one of the most troubling chapters in TSM’s history, not just on the LCS stage but also as an organization. In addition to the loss of FTX as a title partner, TSM have also had to grapple with investigations into claims of verbal abuse and bullying by Reginald and into financial irregularities by disgraced former coach Peter Zhang.

The organization, like many esports companies, had massive layoffs in 2023 and has supposedly been reduced to under 10 full-time workers.

Moving to another region gives TSM the chance to wipe the slate clean, but it also comes with the risk of losing a sizeable portion of the fanbase they have built over the years. Many of those fans have started to lose hope that TSM will return to its winning ways.