Shopify Rebellion has announced that it has purchased an LCS slot from TSM and will join the league in 2024.
Shopify Rebellion will join the LCS in 2024 as the organization announced on September 20 that it has purchased its spot from TSM. TSM reportedly sold its franchised league spot to Shopify for about $10 million, according to The New York Times reporter Kellen Browning.
The LCS became a franchised league in 2018 and the reported price for a spot at the time was $10 million for teams already in the NA LCS. TSM was reportedly asking for around $20 million for the spot initially.
The new LCS organization will take over the spot next season and the players currently signed under TSM will transfer over to Shopify.
We'll see you at the #LCS Arena in 2024. pic.twitter.com/9ZZAUmMEBA
— Shopify Rebellion (@ShopifyRebels) September 20, 2023
“Entering League of Legends – one of the largest esports titles, with a rich competitive history – felt like an obvious next step for us as we continue to grow our presence in esports,” said Dario ’TLO’ Wünsch, esports program development lead at Shopify.
TSM expressed its intention to leave the LCS this year and reportedly floated the idea back in 2022. The organization plans to move to a different region for League of Legends competition. TSM was one of the founding members of the LCS and has seven league titles to its name.
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TSM leaves the LCS, sells spot to Shopify Rebellion
This is the second LCS team to sell its spot in 2023 as CLG let go of its franchise slot to NRG Esports as the organization dissolved.
TSM sold the slot to Shopify for about $10 million, per source https://t.co/iAygTXGZed
— Kellen Browning (@Kellen_Browning) September 20, 2023
The sale of TSM’s LCS slot comes after years of controversy surrounding the organization as its CEO was investigated, fined, and placed on probation for allegedly bullying employees. The organization was also impacted by the crash of crypto exchange company FTX as it was a naming sponsor of TSM for a short time.
TSM additionally had to deal with financial irregularities by its disgraced former coach, Peter Zhang, in 2022.
In March, the organization reportedly paused its investment in esports.
TSM has yet to reveal which region it wants to join and there is no timeline for when the organization will rejoin League of Legends esports.