League of Legends Casters DoA, Montecristo, and Papasmithy will not be attending MSI

The three beloved English Korean LCK casters will not be attending the League of Legends Mid Season Invitational due to financial disagreements with Riot Games.
The three beloved English Korean LCK casters will not be attending the League of Legends Mid Season Invitational due to financial disagreements with Riot Games.

It looks like we will not be seeing League of Legend’s favorite English LCK casters at this year’s Mid Season Invitational. MSI is a tournament that showcases League’s top talent from around the world and takes place halfway through the competitive year.

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Papasmithy, Montecristo, and DoA released a statement revealing that Riot Games is not willing to pay the casters the eSports industry standard for freelance casting. Papasmithy goes on to say that:

We were surprised to discover from our peers that Riot’s offer to us was approximately 40% to 70% of the rate received by talent for major events in all of these titles.

This revelation is surprising, because Riot Games owns what is arguably the most fiscally successful eSport. After some discussion between Riot and the casters, Riot Games offered a nominal increase — but it still was not enough when compared to the money other casters receive for working international events. DoA sums the issue up perfectly in a Reddit comment by saying:

The bottom line though is right now Riot’s freelance talent compensation is below the standard amount casters are receiving for every other eSports title. If we simply go along with that it sets a bad precedent for anyone who wants to make casting a viable career path. We can’t do that.

From a business point of view, I applaud their decision to take a hard stance on being underpaid by a company with the financial resources Riot has. On the other hand, the fan in me is disappointed that I will not be seeing these casters because they bring so much to the table for the viewers.

Let me know what you guys think about their decision in the comments below!


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I once won a 50$ gift card to Chili's playing League of Legends so you could say I'm a pretty big deal.