NLC Organizers Step Back from League Operations

League ApS, the organizers behind the Northern League of Legends Championship (NLC), have informed Riot Games that they can no longer manage the league.

This announcement comes just weeks before the NLC Spring 2026 season and follows a challenging period for the competition.

Last year, Leagues Media, the marketing and organizing branch of League ApS, laid off some staff as part of a move to centralize operations in Copenhagen.

Recently, NLC broadcast talent took to social media to express concerns over late payments, unpaid invoices, and being dropped from the roster, which left streams without commentators. This situation sparked significant backlash from the community directed at the tournament operators.

Now, League ApS has opted to withdraw as the NLC operator.

Earlier today, Riot shared a statement on their official League of Legends UK, IE & Nordics X account, addressing their 1.2 million followers: “League ApS, NLC’s tournament organizer, has informed us that they are no longer in a position to operate the league.

“We are actively assessing the situation and aligning on next steps to ensure continuity and stability for the competition. We know that this raises questions, and we are committed to providing clear updates as we move forward.

“We will share more details on what this means for the Spring Split and the path ahead before it begins at the end of March. Thank you for your patience and continued support.”

This news follows the announcement from Los Ratones, the all-star team led by Caedrel, that their project has come to an end. They participated in the NLC in 2025, achieving record viewership numbers in the millions throughout the year.

Some veteran NLC broadcast talent, including host Archarom, are stepping up to seek a new tournament operator.

Archarom stated: “Who wants to help and make NLC a proper league? Serious question.

“I’m looking for any TO willing to step in. I don’t have any power; it’s a tough situation since the product is suffering right now, but there’s potential within it.”

Sami Cunningham, Managing Director of Verdant, a team competing in the NLC and recent winners of the NLC 2026 Winter Split, remarked: “[This news] shouldn’t be a shock for anyone, but it doesn’t help the uncertainty around the NLC going forward.

“It’s unfortunate that the NLC is once again facing instability, especially since this could have been avoided if there had been more willingness to listen and collaborate.”