EU LCS move to Berlin

Riot·8/21/2014, 5:01:40 PM·0 votes·7,085 views
As part of our ongoing efforts towards full transparency with our LCS audience, we’re confirming that later this year our Riot Germany office and EU LCS studios will be moving from Cologne to Berlin. Although Cologne has been an awesome home for us for the past year, we couldn’t be more excited about the move and to usher in a new season of EU esports in our brand new base. We’ll be back later this year with a glimpse of our new studio once details are squared away – but suffice to say we’re excited to offer more space and a better entertainment experience for fans across Europe. We’ll be up and running in our new home by the start of the new EU LCS season. Leaving Cologne wasn’t an easy decision. Cologne is often considered the capital of esports but Berlin is the German city with the biggest concentration of LoL players. Although moving away from Cologne will doubtless be a disappointment for local fans who lived nearby, we’re confident that our newer, bigger studio will allow us to create a better entertainment experience for fans in Germany and across Europe. In Cologne, a large majority of our attendees came from throughout Germany to join us in studio, and we expect to see the same thing in Berlin. We’ve been working closely with and talking to LCS teams about this move for a few months. Moving to an international capital city like Berlin offers LCS teams and players the opportunity for more sponsor attention and visibility, better cost of living and broader domestic and international media exposure. We’ll be back within the next few weeks as we get the details ironed out, but wanted to give LCS fans from EU and around the world a glimpse of where our thinking is around the future of the EU LCS. Above all, we believe this move to Berlin will allow us to continue to grow and level up the EU LCS ecosystem and experience for teams, players and fans.

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8 Comments

IceH8/22/2014, 8:19:22 AM4 votes

Well I think it is good news. There wasn't the possibility for Riot anymore to grow in Cologne. Now, in Berlin, you are in a capitcal city with, as their research data shows, the highest concentration of LoL players. In addition, you have tourists from around the globe which might visit the German capital and which then decide to stop by LCS. Last but not least: The eastern market is growing in importance a lot. Being closer to countries like Poland is an important step for Riot. I think this is the right step to take.

PrettyBadSupport8/21/2014, 6:28:31 PM3 votes

This sucks! You said it by urself... Cologne ist the e-sports capital of Germany... Close to the Netherlands and to France... Close to Dortmund, Essen, Bochum, Wuppertal and many other cities... The concentration of people is much higher around Cologne!

TrollFan018/22/2014, 10:26:38 PM2 votes

Berlin, the happiest place on Earth since 1940 lol

Man Nav Pautu8/22/2014, 2:33:06 PM2 votes

sad. Cologne was closer to where i live.

Stormii8/26/2014, 3:40:49 PM2 votes

YES I LIVE IN BERLIN WOHOOOO

LA Monk9/2/2014, 1:59:43 PM1 votes

Murder :(

Crexton8/24/2014, 11:20:13 AM1 votes

I think this is good new overall for Europe and its e-sport as a whole. Business, or trips in general, take you far more often to Berlin than Cologne. You can then plan to "drop by" once in a while. Even if it won't be a everyday thing for individuals outside Germany, it could be an everyday thing statistically speaking for the demographic as a group.