LPL players forced by Tencent to play on Chinese LoL server
Week 1 in the LPL has concluded and Tencent took the opportunity to announce some key changes in the LPL rulebook.
The LPL, unlike the other major regions, is operated by Tencent. The Chinese conglomerate is at least a partial owner of some of the most popular game developers in the world, including Riot Games, Epic Games, Supercell, and Ubisoft.
Legend of Legends is one of the most popular video games in China, and to host its massive player base, Tencent created multiple servers set inside the country. The company also created a “super server” that is exclusive for the players that reach Diamond I on the regular servers. Players do not get promoted immediately form one server to the other, as they must submit a request that gets approved or denied by Tencent.
While a super server with some of the best players in the country sounds like the ideal scenario for the pro players, most of them prefer to play in the Korean server. By playing in the Korean server, the active LPL players get exposed to new strategies and get to face opponents that otherwise would only encounter at international events.
Tencent wants the LPL players to focus on the Chinese super server and to do so, the company created a new requirement for players to play in the LPL. To be considered an LPL professional player, the players must keep their accounts in the super server at Diamond I or above.
The new rule will force the players to play in the Chinese servers. The goal behind the new requirements is to make the super server more competitive ahead of the 2020 World Championship being hosted in China. One of the reasons why the players avoid the server is because of the toxicity from the casual players. Tencent is hoping that by moving the players into the super server, the behavior of these players will improve.
Tencent brings major changes to the LPL
Another major change in the LPL affects the retired players. Professional players can retire and end up coming out of retirement weeks later. It happened in the LCK when popular bottom laner Kim “PraY” Jong-in announced in April 2019 his retirement from professional play. Less than a month later, PraY announced that he was joining KT Rolster for the summer.
Players in the LPL won’t be allowed to pull the same move in the near future. According to the new regulations, players that announced their retirement will have to wait 12 months before they’re allowed to join another team. The ruling doesn’t prevent the players from moving to another region.
The 2020 LPL Spring Season resumes on February 5.
Read Also
League of Legends
Hanwha Life Esports vs LYON: Best betting odds and picks for MSI 2026
Hannan Mundia
The 2026 MSI lower bracket final will see Hanwha Life Esports take on LYON. Here’s our complete betting analysis and betting picks. After T1’s upset loss at the ongoing MSI tournament, G2 Esports was the next team to fall before reaching the lower bracket final. LYON looked extremely good against the LEC team, but does it have what it takes to take down arguably the strongest LCK team currently? Tournament: ...
League of Legends
G2 Esports proves that T1 has an over-reliance problem
Hannan Mundia
The MSI match between G2 Esports and T1 proved that the LCK powerhouse needs to take a good look at its strategy. For years now, the LCK has been a dominant force in the competitive League of Legends space. While the LCP has occasionally come close to the number one spot, that hasn’t been the case for long. In particular, T1 is easily the biggest name in the scene, especially ...
Esports Betting
Here’s the complete Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 schedule
Hannan Mundia
The Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 has finally arrived, and here’s the complete schedule for the event to ensure you don’t miss anything. While it isn’t exactly the newest name in the esports scene, the EWC has quickly become a leading event for esports fans worldwide. It brings together professional players and fans from various games, combining them into one long event that everyone can enjoy. 2026’s Esports World Cup ...
Esports Betting
Team Secret Whales stun Top Esports as LCP finally breaks the East’s Bo5 wall
Wasif Ahmed
In the first massive upset of the tournament, Team Secret Whales beat Top Esports to kick them out of the lower bracket of MSI 2026. This is Asia-Pacific’s first ever Bo5 win against the East since the creation of the leagues in 2013. Now, only Bilibili Gaming is left for the LPL and the power rankings are all mixed up. TSW didn’t just beat TES, they completely outclassed them. Kicking ...
Esports Betting
Karmine Corp is the third LEC team to go winless against major regions at MSI
Wasif Ahmed
With their 0-3 defeat against Team Liquid, Karmine Corp is now the third LEC team to bomb out of the Mid-Season Invitational without taking a single game off of the top four regions. Before them were MAD Lions in 2023 and G2 Esports’ infamous debut run in 2016. NA, on the other hand, has only once gone winless against major regions. Karmine Corp's MSI 2026 run included taking down the ...
Esports Betting
G2 Esports reverse sweeps Top Esports at MSI 2026
Wasif Ahmed
It starts with success, and Fnatic is now avenged. G2 Esports started the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational by beating Top Esports 3-2. After starting the series 0-2, they managed to pull off the first reverse sweep in main stage MSI history. The 2026 Mid-Season Invitational started with seven back-to-back 3-0 series. G2 finally broke that streak by beating TES in five games. In doing so, they also broke a much longer-standing ...
Esports Betting
Why are ranged top laners so common in League of Legends?
Wasif Ahmed
In League of Legends Season 2026, top lane has been filled with ranged champions. Outside of the usual few, marksmen and even control mages have found a new home in top. This change in meta is much to the displeasure of players who prefer facing tanks and bruisers. Why did ranged top laners become so frequent and how does one beat them? LoL has always had a few ranged characters ...
