The 2024 Transfer Season of LPL Ends with a Significant Number of Players Entering Unemployment
Currently, the largest area in the League of Legends scene is League of Legends, and the LPL has also concluded its transfer season at the end of the 2024 season. This can be said to be a year full of upheavals for the League of Legends scene in China. However, there will still be many changes in the future. The only thing is that negative signals have appeared, causing the League of Legends community in the region to be quite worried.
According to the statistics, by December 14, a total of 14 players have already entered the unemployment line after the transfer season at the end of 2024 concluded. If considering 5-player teams, only one player is missing to correspond to 3 professional League of Legends teams. Among these, there are names that global League of Legends fans are quite familiar with, such as Leyan, Qingtian, Xiaolaohu, YSKM, or Wayward… These are players at a fairly average level who are currently without any team.
According to information from LPL, the reason for these players’ unemployment is due to the salary structure. Most teams do not have sufficient funds to support large contracts. However, the salary level of the league is at a high level that lesser-known or lower-tier teams cannot afford. For teams that have not achieved high results, the fact that they are releasing players at this time is even more critical, especially when the results are no longer significant.
Is LPL Facing a Real Decline?
It can be observed that during the late 2024 transfer window, many teams are trending towards investment in a “last dance” style. For example, Invictus Gaming, after a long time of struggling, has decided to create a “super team,” or JD Gaming is also parting ways with almost all members to rebuild with superstars.
Moreover, there are also teams that have officially disbanded, such as Rare Atom. Furthermore, many LPL teams are also dissolving their rosters to compete in the LDL whenever possible. Besides the fact that LDL is currently not significant due to its limited nature, it can also reflect that current LPL teams are not prioritized for long-term development, but rather immediate achievements.
Therefore, whether LPL is facing a decline or not depends on the performance of teams in 2025. If they can regain their former glory, every transfer will be justified. Otherwise, a bleak future awaits the League of Legends scene in China.
