Riot Games Oceania has reportedly downsized the Oceanic Pro League ahead of its 2020 season.
Kotaku Australia has reported that teams in the league will no longer receive an operating subsidy.
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“We can confirm we have removed the operating subsidy for the upcoming season in accordance with the plan teams were made aware of when they entered the league,” Riot Games Oceania told Kotaku Australia. The operating subsidy was distributed each week over the course of the league’s two splits.
The report also explains that minimum player salary requirements will be being removed for the league moving forward. “We can also confirm we have agreed as a concession with team owners to waive OPL’s minimum salary requirement. This decision wasn’t taken lightly – but with a view to sustainability – and was communicated to OPL players on October 23,” Riot Games Oceania confirmed.
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It’s reported that the previous minimum player salary requirement was $10,000 (GBP7,694.45) per year. The new rule now means that there is no guarantee that players will receive a salary at all going into 2020.
Esports Insider says: The lack of a guaranteed salary for players will, likely, see them move across to another regional league or stop playing altogether – balancing practice and competition alongside a full-time job to sustain the profession is a tall task and would, in some cases, lead to a downgrade in performance by nature.