TSM has grown to be one of the most popular League of Legends teams since the organization’s inception back in 2011, but according to a report by Dexerto’s Richard Lewis, the team was close to leaving the LCS.
Dexerto sources say that TSM recently considered selling its LCS spot due to three main factors: reducing costs of the team’s various esports projects, the level of competition in the region, along with the falling popularity of League as a whole in North America.
There were also sources that claim TSM was looking to join the LEC via the newly-vacated Misfits Gaming slot. The organization made some primary inquiries around a possible sale before Team Heretics ended up purchasing the spot for a reported $45 to $50 million.
This move would have been made purely because it made sense financially for them to join the top European league, especially with how much growth the league had seen over the past few years. For comparison, the LCS has seen a steady decrease in its peak viewership, with the most-recent 2022 Spring Split hitting a peak of 387,000 viewers. Meanwhile, the LEC hasn’t had a peak under 723,000 in any season since the 2019 Summer Split.
Back in the TSM camp, things are looking rough for not only their LCS squad but across the organization as a whole. According to Dexerto’s source, TSM is cutting budgets across all its esports divisions and will be selling more assets in the near future.
TSM’s League team has struggled to find success throughout the 2022 LCS Summer Split, as they currently sit in second-last place with an abysmal 3-8 record. It hasn’t helped that the lineup has undergone multiple changes over the past year, with several players coming and going through the main roster’s doors.
Related: Soul requests return to TSM Academy, Solo steps in as team’s new LCS top laner
The perennial LCS champions have three more weeks to try and qualify for a playoff spot before their dreams of a World Championship berth are officially dead.
TSM declined to comment about the organization reportedly considering leaving the LCS.
