Introduction: The S15 season is underway, and the majority of players have been paying attention to the recent clashes. All major regions have taken a brief hiatus; some teams are involved in entertainment matches, while others are gearing up for the final World Championship. Over the past few years, League of Legends' popularity has been a major focus for many players. Many believe the game is in decline, with a significant number even leaving. However, judging by this year's World Championship prize pool, investment in League may actually be increasing. Recently, the organizers officially announced the prize distribution for the S15 Global Finals. The first-place prize is an astonishing $1 million, doubling that of S14. The 17th place prize is only $75,000, which might barely cover travel and accommodation for non-local teams.

S15 World Championship Prize Distribution Leaked

Most players are quite familiar with the World Championship. As the highest honor in League of Legends, after each region’s season concludes, several top-tier teams compete for this prestigious title. Over the years, the champions have mostly come from the LPL and LCK, especially recently. After the LCK became more organized, many elite pro players returned, causing the LPL’s overall performance to weaken significantly. This time, the LPL region is hosting the World Championship again, clearly aiming to keep the trophy within LPL, even assembling a top-level practice squad.

In recent years, League’s popularity has been a hot topic among players. Many feel the game has declined. The prize pool history reflects this: Season 1 had a fixed $100K pool; Seasons 2 to 5 rose to $1 million; Season 6 doubled to $2.25 million. The peak was Season 8, reaching $6.48 million—the same year the LPL won its first World Championship. Starting from Season 9, the prize pool steadily decreased, fixed at $2.25 million, and by Season 14, it was $2.225 million. With various splits, it’s clear the environment wasn’t very favorable.

However, this S15 season’s prize pool has surged dramatically back up to $5 million. The recent surge in interest around the "Oil Cup" has likely attracted massive investments from wealthy sponsors. Even T1’s primary sponsor recently changed to one of these oil tycoons, with their parent company ranking second. The prize breakdown for S15 has sparked much discussion: the champion receives $1 million, runner-up $800K, third place $400K, fourth place also $400K, fifth to eighth $300K each, ninth to eleventh $175K, twelfth to fourteenth $125K, and fifteenth and sixteenth $112K.

The most watched is the 17th place prize of just $75K. Honestly, if T1 finishes 17th, that amount might not even cover the team’s travel and lodging expenses. The decisive match is crucial. Recently, IG has reportedly been giving their all, even traveling to the LCK region for training, showing their determination. IG is currently renting BFX’s training base, though it’s unclear which teams they are practicing with. Gen.G is a likely candidate. It depends on how much IG can absorb, but it’s estimated that about 80% of their strength could challenge T1.

Farewell Thoughts

Many say League of Legends’ popularity is sharply declining, yet the prize pool keeps soaring. While other esports prize pools shrink, League’s has doubled, clearly indicating ongoing investment. The champion’s prize nears 7 million RMB, not including player skin revenue, which might bring each player tens of millions.

What do you, the viewers, think about this situation?