Team BDS buy Schalke 04 LEC slot for $31.5m
Team BDS/Michal Konkol/Riot GamesGerman football club FC Schalke 04 have finalized the sale of their slot in European League of Legends competition LEC for a total of $31.5m.
Confirming previous reports on the sale of their slot in Riot Games’ premier European league, Schalke 04’s poor results (and subsequent relegation) from the Bundesliga dealt a blow to their finances and meant they could no longer justify their spend in League of Legends esports.
Swiss esports organization Team BDS — which already competed in LoL alongside the likes of Fortnite, Rainbow Six Siege, FIFA, and Rocket League — have now acquired the slot in the LEC.
Having successfully finished a five-month process to get into the closed competition, Team BDS will compete against teams such as G2 Esports and Fnatic from the 2022 spring split.
Team BDS acquires @S04Esports LEC Slot. Starting from 2022, BDS will operate as #LEC core member for an indefinite period.
Full press release: https://t.co/PBIQtNH1gq
Communiqué de presse officiel : https://t.co/ZDZUElEayp#BDSPOWER pic.twitter.com/TMjcDvYjfM— Team BDS (@TeamBDS) June 29, 2021
Team BDS have experience in European League of Legends through fielding a team in the LFL, the official national league for the esport in France. They finished third in this year’s spring season, advancing to the playoffs only to finish fourth after losing to Team Vitality’s academy side.
“Over the years, the League of Legends scene has developed phenomenally, and FC Schalke 04’s early involvement in the scene was truly visionary,” said Team BDS’ executive director Renaud Pierre Baijot.
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.”