In 2020, Saudi Arabia attempted to establish a partnership between NEOM and the League of Legends European Championship (LEC) through a sponsorship deal. However, this initiative faced backlash, leading Riot Games to reverse its decision on the NEOM partnership.

Currently, Team Falcons, an organization based in Saudi Arabia, has made two attempts to join the LEC. Their first bid was unsuccessful, losing to Karmine Corp for a slot priced at around €20 million. The second attempt was for Rogue’s slot, which was offered at approximately €12 million.

Despite their efforts, Riot Games has blocked Team Falcons from purchasing slots from both Astralis and Rogue. Jordan Savelli, the director of Team Falcons, expressed frustration over the situation, stating, “We lost the bid the first time to Karmine Corp.” He further questioned the value of investing in the league, saying, “It doesn’t send a good signal for your league. Am I going to spend €12 million if, in two years, it might only be worth €6 million?”

Team Falcons are currently competing in Game Changers and had a brief stint in Challengers MENA. Savelli noted that other clubs in the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) are interested in their inclusion, as they believe Team Falcons can bring an audience that the leagues currently lack.

Moreover, Savelli hinted at a lack of fairness in the decision-making process by Riot Games, stating, “I can’t go into details, but something not very fair happened on Riot’s side that pushed us away.” He also expressed skepticism about the overall success of VALORANT, remarking, “in any case, I don’t think VALORANT is a successful game with strong numbers; it’s an expensive game.”

As the situation unfolds, observers are left questioning the future of Team Falcons in the competitive landscape of League of Legends and whether they will find a pathway to join the LEC.