This was the first NA LCS split since Riot implemented franchising last year and it’s gone tremendously. So well in fact, that Riot has announced the EU LCS will be following suit and will begin franchising next year. The EU’s summer split will be unaffected, but next spring could feature a whole new slate of teams.

The pricing for franchises will be essentially the same as we saw in NA last year. According to Forbes, a brand new franchise will cost about $13 million, but existing EU teams will be able to lock in their spots for around $10 million, as long as Riot approves of them that is. 

As we saw in NA this last year, there’s no guarantee that Riot will allow established EU teams to stay in the league. The NA LCS lost four teams when the league franchised and gained 100 Thieves, Optic Gaming, Golden Guardians and Clutch Gaming. Both Clutch and 100T are in the semifinals this split and it’s good to see new teams rise to the top, but in the franchising process, the Immortals and others found themselves on the outside looking in.

The immortals were one of the best teams in the league last year and their departure shocked a lot of longtime fans. In other words, no EU team should be confident going into franchising until they know for certain that they’re wanted by Riot. 

Three of the four new teams in the NA LCS have ties to or shared ownership with some of the top basketball teams in the NBA and Riot has made it clear that one of the things they’re searching for with franchising is stability. With the NBA partnership model working out so well in NA, it will be interesting to see if the EU sees teams connected with the Premier League or other major sports organizations in Europe. 

The NA franchising model has proven to be wildly successful for Riot, its teams and its players. While some initially worried about franchising, it’s turned into a win-win-win for just about everyone involved. Players have set minimum salaries, benefits and more; teams can turn to sponsors and fans and guarantee them that they’re investing in a product that is here to stay; and Riot has hosted one of the most exciting and competitive splits we’ve seen to date.

It’s never a guarantee that success in one region will translate to another, but we’d be surprised if the EU LCS didn’t look better off a year from now thanks to franchising. Unfortunately, it’ll be a nail-biting few months for fans as they wait and see if their favorite teams will be around to stay. Team applications are due over the summer, but we’ll likely have to wait until World’s or after to see who made the final cut.