MrBeast Plans to Buy LCS Esports Team, Drawing Scrutiny Over Crypto Ties

The LCS, Riot Games’ North American professional league for League of Legends, has long depended on sponsorships and team owners’ capital. FTX signed a 10-year, $210 million naming-rights deal with TSM but filed for bankruptcy in November 2022, dealing a major blow to North American esports and renewing scrutiny of the risks associated with crypto-backed funding.

YouTuber MrBeast recently said publicly that he plans to acquire an LCS team by 2027, but has yet to identify a target or disclose the transaction value or an exact date. Because he holds cryptocurrency, observers are watching whether the new funding could improve the league’s operations without repeating the disruption caused by the loss of sponsorships after FTX’s collapse.