League of Legends: LPL players protest against unfair salary cuts at the end of their professional careers due to bidding for transfers.

Having seen countless art auctions, this is truly the first time I've witnessed a bidding war among esports players. It sounds quite interesting, but there's more to it than meets the eye. Unless you're a die-hard fan, you're probably not familiar with the "working" rules for esports players. Your initial impression might be that they're like ordinary athletes, recruited, signed, and immediately join a team to serve them until the contract expires.

Mutual transfers, agreement to increase wages

If a player performs exceptionally well, even reaching the championship, they are considered a promising talent, and the higher-ups will be willing to offer better terms to retain them. A truly good player is hard to find. Conversely, players with mediocre results, lacking synergy with their teammates and consistently in a slump, are at risk of being demoted or dismissed. Their destinations—job hopping, unemployment, or being poached—all occur during the transfer window.

Conventional transfers are logical, but what kind of model is this player auction? This is a new rule recently introduced in the LPL region. After the League of Legends S15 World Championship, all players were inexplicably blackmailed, and no one understood its rationale. Undeniably, the LPL region's trend is not as good as the LCK region. After breaking through the encirclement and finally breaking into the international arena, it was defeated by the Demon King T1 team. Years of failed challenges have resulted in extremely low entertainment value, with more and more players quitting the game. Even streamers are complaining that it's hard to make money and would rather switch careers. If they want this region to develop, being a professional player is the only way out. They have stable salaries, professional training from teams, endorsements, bonuses, stickers, merchandise, and multiple income channels. However, this transfer reform has greatly affected their salaries.

LPL transfer rule reforms, bidding intentionally lowers salaries.

In 2025, the LPL transfer season was unusually lively, becoming a hot topic on various esports forums. The main reason was that the new rules made many top players free agents. The cancellation of the mutual selection mode indicated that players did not have enough options. They usually rely on switching clubs and agreeing to salary targets before leaving. Moreover, the official reason given was to reduce the player salary bubble and lower player salaries, which is obviously a targeted move.

The LPL region isn't exactly overflowing with talent; the same few players come and go, relying on veterans to carry the team. As they age, their careers are down to just a few years. Now, the league is taking advantage of their twilight years to reduce their salaries. How would you react? You'd definitely protest.