E-sports have been a booming industry for a long time. Many of the most popular computer games have their own professional leagues. One of them is L.E.C., which stands for LoL (League of Legends) European Championship. This is a prestigious tournament that has been featured in the betting options of the best bookmakers since its inception. The winner of this tournament gains global fame and rewards. Now, two of the top contenders have teamed up to secure their dominance over the European e-sports scene.
Meet Koi
The team was founded in December 2021 by Ibai Llanos, a renowned Iberian streamer, and Gerard Piqué, a former Barcelona footballer. They have seven professional players under contract until November. The team manager is David Sabater, also known as Saba, and the head coach is Danusch Fischer.
They have competed in five tournaments so far with varying outcomes. Their sponsors include Disney+, Cupra, Finetwork and Kelme.
Meet Rogue
Rogue is the reigning champion in Europe after a 3-0 victory over G2 in the last final. They are currently competing in the World Championship of League of Legends. They are a German team owned by ReKTGlobal and coached by Simon Payne. They also have teams for Rainbow Six Siege and Rocket League, where they are the Champion of the series (RLCS). Their roster features five international players of high caliber.
The deal between them and Koi allows them to join forces as KOIxROGUE for the next LEC edition while keeping their own rights intact. Ibai Llanos will be the general manager of the merged LoL department and his main responsibility will be to raise the funds needed to achieve their common goal.
Partnership deal and the rewards
The deal between them is more of a partnership than a merger. They have not disclosed how they will share any potential rewards, which could be substantial. For instance, Rogue could earn 486,500 US$ if they win Worlds. The second place will get 333,750 US$, while even the ninth place will receive 55,625 US$.
However, the rewards may not cover the cost of running a professional e-sports team. According to recent estimates, a 10-men roster costs more than 1.850 million Euros per year in salaries and other expenses. That’s why sponsors, fundraising, and winning as many tournaments as possible are essential.
E-sports are becoming more popular and so are the betting options and odds provided by the top bookmakers offered via agent. One of the reasons for this popularity is that anyone can become a famous player or a successful bettor without special skills.
