(Photo : Riot Games, Chris DELMAS, AFP / Screenshot taken from Getty Images)
Riot Games has launched a new mechanism that will be responsible for resolving various legal disputes. These will be regarding esports within the EMEA region.
The video game publisher most known for first-person shooter Valorant and MOBA League of Legends launched the Dispute Resolution Mechanism (DRM). This will employ independent arbitrators who will resolve contractual and financial disputes between players, coaches, and teams in Tier 1 and Tier 2 esports leagues.
Dispute Resolution Mechanism
The newly created mechanism will only apply to stakeholders in Riot Games' official Tier 1 and Tier 2 leagues in both League of Legends and Valorant. The DRM is now officially live and available for use as of Nov. 7, 2024.
The mechanism will only cover the two esports in the EMEA region but the video game publisher indicated that it wants to expand it to other regions as well. But this is only going to be the case if the DRM sees success within the region it currently operates in, according to Esports Insider.
The new DRM system will also see Munich-based law firm Martens Rechtsanwälte, which has a specialization in dispute resolution, acting as the Secretariat. The latter will be responsible for administering the system as well as finding and appointing an independent arbitrator for each dispute.
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Some examples of issues that the new mechanism will handle include disputes over unpaid prize money, salaries, transfer fees, as well as bonuses. It is also worth noting that the DRM is only for disputes with and between players, coaches, and teams. It would not handle disputes with Riot Games itself.
As per the video games publisher's release, the new mechanism was designed to "bring a whole new level of professionalism, contractual stability, and integrity" to the region's competition, Esports said.
Various New Changes
Right now, there are an estimated 1,500 players who are competing in Tier 1 and Tier 2 for Riot Games' League of Legends and Valorant esports in the EMEA region. They are all able to access the new mechanism for any disputes they may have that are covered by the system.
Riot Games announced changes to the League of Legends esports scene in the EMEA region. It gave a glimpse of what the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) region will look like next year.
The major change coming is that the 2025 season will not feature a three-split format. Each of these splits will offer a unique format for players. There will now be three splits per year with Winter getting the Fearless Draft, and Spring and Summer getting best-of-threes, according to Esports Advocate.
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