German football club Schalke 04 has completed the sale of its League of Legends European Championship (LEC) licence to Swiss esports organisation Team BDS.
According to the announcement by Schalke 04 Esports, the spot will be sold at the end of the Summer Split 2021 for €26.5m (~£22.8m).
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The news about Schalke 04 potentially looking to sell its LEC spot were confirmed by the organisation earlier in February. Schalke’s LEC spot was originally estimated to cost anywhere up to €20m (£17.2m), which is a significant increase from the €8m (~£6.89m) price tag that the esports organisation reportedly paid in 2019.
Team BDS has concluded its LEC franchise purchase after a five-month selection process led by Riot Games and FC Schalke 04.
“We are thrilled to finally be able to participate in such a challenging and exciting competition,” commented Alexandre Lopez, Head of Strategy for Team BDS. “This really is the next step for BDS and we hope to feature among the best in League of Legends.
“We are grateful towards Riot Games and FC Schalke 04 for placing their trust in our team, and we hope to continue FC Schalke 04’s work in developing esports as a discipline of its own.”
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Founded in 2018, Team BDS is a Geneva-based esports organisation with teams in the highest European levels of Rocket League and Rainbow Six Siege esports. Its League of Legends team has previously competed in the La Ligue Française 2021 (LFL). The organisation claims to be ‘driven by the desire to perform and the values of sport’.
Renaud Pierre Baijot, Executive Director of Team BDS, added: “Over the years, the League of Legends scene has developed phenomenally, and FC Schalke 04’s early involvement in the scene was truly visionary. Team BDS is humbled to follow in these footsteps. Today, with the BDS community at our side, we will continue to foster unique talent, striving to reach the highest levels of the competition.”
Esports Insider says: Schalke’s LEC departure truly highlights how the value of esports has risen over the last 12 months. A league spot that was initially purchased for €8m has now gone for over €26m in just two years. Whilst it will be sad to see Schalke depart the League of Legends scene, it’ll be very interesting to see how Team BDS approaches this purchase.