The LCK may be implementing a salary cap due to financial woes

Olivia Richman Published 13/04/2023

The LCK may be facing enough financial troubles to implement a salary cap, reports say.

Korean gaming publication Inven recently reported that South Korea’s League of Legends competition might require that all 10 teams implement a salary cap. The article reads that the LCK teams are allegedly in agreement after a discussion about wage costs pointed to the salaries “soaring exponentially.”

The LCK is one of the most competitive esports scenes in the world, so it’s no surprise that salaries have continued to increase in order for teams to entice players to leave current organizations for a more promising contract. But it seems that the salaries are now spiraling out of control, leaving many teams operating in the red.

LCK starts to consider salary cap as LoL salaries soar

The idea of a salary cap was previously rejected by the LCK since teams didn’t want top players to leave for other regions or stop playing altogether. T1 was the loudest opposition to a salary cap, even when other teams started to change their mind about implementing one. T1 is home to the best League of Legends player in the world, Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, who currently has a salary of over $2.1 million, not counting bonuses.

But the LCK has since changed its attitude about salary caps it seems. Earlier in 2023, Gen.G CEO Arnold Hur said that he was “extremely concerned” about the LCK’s finances. On Reddit, he admitted to “fearing the worst” if nothing was done to help teams grow as sponsors left the scene.

Despite fighting against salary caps at first, T1 has been operating in the red this entire time. In 2022, they operated at a loss of around $12.6 million.

While a salary cap has seemed like the decided-upon solution, there are some concerns about the implementation of the salary cap. This is most likely due to the LPL also rolling out a salary cap that led to some players losing 70% of their previous salaries. Now, fans of the LCK are fearful that the same will happen to the best players in South Korea, leading to a mass exodus or other complications.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

View full profile

Read Also

League of Legends

Caps Hall of Legends skins prices and dates revealed Hannan Mundia Caps is the latest League of Legends player to be inducted into the Hall of Legends, and the LEC player’s dedicated skins have been revealed, including their prices and release dates. The Hall of Legends is Riot Games’ way to honor a handful of the most well-known and celebrated professional players associated with LoL. The first inductee was naturally Faker, while the second was Uzi. The third player is Caps, ...

League of Legends

Five Support Champions To Pick Up in LoL Patch 26.17 Ben Boland The support meta in League of Legends is one of the most highly discussed roles in the game right now. With Riot doubling down on the roaming support playstyle, we will likely see more champions added to the pool around the time of Worlds 2026, which begins on 15 October. At the time of writing this article, the current patch, 26.17, is being tested on the PBE, with the launch ...

League of Legends

These Are Five Top Lane Champions To Pick Up in League of Legends Patch 26.17 Ben Boland League of Legends patch 26.17 is just around the corner, and with that patch comes more changes to the role. The days of ADCs in the lane are starting to be a thing of the past, with more bruisers hitting the gym before the launch of 26.17. Many top laners are receiving buffs on the new patch, while powerhouses such as Nasus and Vayne are on the chopping block, making ...

League of Legends

Here Is What To Expect From the League of Legends Patch 26.17 Ben Boland It’s less than a week until the release of League of Legends Patch 26.17, and with this patch comes some significant nerfs to popular champions, item adjustments, and targeting roaming supports as mage bottom lanes dominate the meta. While there is plenty to unpack in this week's patch from Riot Games, two champions, Vayne and Xerath, have received the biggest nerfs across the board. Here are some of the biggest ...

League of Legends

Trade on LGD vs Bilibili Gaming at Polymarket — Use Promo Code WINGGPREMAR Ben Boland Bilibili Gaming comes into their best-of-three series against LGD Gaming as the overwhelming favorites, with Polymarket traders giving the MSI finalists an 83% implied probability of winning at the time of writing this article. The prediction market doesn’t give LGD much of a chance at all, and with traders backing BLG heavily, it paints a picture of who is most likely to win this series in the LPL Split 3, ...

League of Legends

Which Teams Should Be Panicking Ahead of LoL Worlds 2026? Ben Boland The 2026 League of Legends World Championship is fast approaching, with the tournament beginning on 15 October. 19 of the best teams that esports has to offer will do battle in North America for a shot at the Summoner's Cup. For teams like Bilibili Gaming and Hanwha Life Esports, their fates are already sealed without stepping foot on the Rift again, but for the rest of the teams, they will ...

League of Legends

Predictions For Gen.G vs Dplus KIA: Best Value Odds at GGBET Ben Boland Two of the more in-form teams in the LCK go head-to-head as Dplus KIA takes on Gen.G on 22 August. Despite the odds leaning more towards a Gen.G win, there are some solid bets to make across the board, not just simply the result. Dplus KIA have shown impressive form throughout the summer and so shouldn’t be discounted in this series. In this preview, we will highlight the best chances to ...