The recent days have been packed with controversial and intriguing developments in the League of Legends (LoL) esports scene. 

Here’s a rundown of some of the major topics worth further discussion, including the co-streaming debate, concerns about Tier 2, and the return of one of LoL’s biggest women’s teams.

On April 20th, a report by Sheep Esports’ Armand Luque leaked the return of G2 HEL, G2 Esports’ women’s LoL team.

G2 HEL was one of the most decorated women’s rosters until its sudden shutdown in December last year. Although a lack of funding was the presumed reason for the project’s sunsetting, the news came after G2 HEL’s arguably most successful season. In addition to its second-place finish at the inaugural LoL Game Changers (LGC) tournament, G2 HEL became the first women’s team to qualify for the second division of the co-ed European Regional League.

I myself was shocked at the time, as this seemed like a major setback for women’s representation in LoL esports. If G2 couldn’t secure long-term backing for such an accomplished women’s team, then who could?

Thankfully, G2 HEL appears to be ready for its revival, at least according to Sheep Esports’ sources. The news outlet reported that only two members from the previous roster have returned: Marta “Shiina” Garrido and Maya “Caltys” Henckel. The remaining slots will be filled by Alice “Wiosna” Mossé, Gina “Lumi” Kircher, Isabella “Izzeeri,” and coach Adam “Emtest” Emtestam. However, no official announcement has been made by G2 Esports itself.

Should the leaks be true, though, G2 HEL will be ready to compete in the upcoming 2026 LoL Game Changers circuit — a massive win for women’s esports.

“Incredibly happy to see G2 Hel coming back,” commented former LGC coach, Joshua “Burnt Sanctuary” Keller, on the news. “A lot of great news this year so far. Happy that all SK Avarosa, Vitality Rising Bees, and now G2 Hel continue.

“Here’s hoping for more LEC orgs to join.”

We’re in the midst of the LCK Rounds 1-2, and last week, T1 Ryu “Keria” Min-seok might have experienced his most bittersweet game of the event so far.

On April 17th, T1 faced Dplus KIA, which had previously eliminated it from the LCK Cup 2026 Playoffs (2-3). The rematch began with Dplus KIA winning game one, and T1 evening out the score in game two. In game three, however, LoL fans were blessed with an incredible masterclass from Keria on Pyke. 

“I haven’t seen a game like this in a long time. He’s just running around killing everyone,” highlighted LoL co-streamer Marc “Caedrel” Lamont after Keria had secured a massive early-game lead for his team. 

Both Caedrel and the match casters spent most of the early game praising Keria’s map presence and individual plays. But what started as a perfect game went south once Dplus KIA wiped T1 in the dragon pit and secured the Baron as a cherry on top. Keria’s early-game achievements were seemingly nullified, as he had to watch T1’s nexus be destroyed despite his 100% kill participation on Pyke.

“Nah, Keria, bro. I would crash out. He was frying,” remarked Caedrel after the series.

Keria’s tragic Pyke masterclass immediately became a topic of online discussion and memes, with many highlighting how frustrating team sports can be. It also raises the question of how valuable Pyke is compared to other supports, given that even this level of performance may not translate into a win.

On the other hand, Dplus KIA’s miraculous comeback once again proves that in a game of LoL, almost everything is possible — even at the highest level of competition.

With fewer fans tuning in to the official broadcasts of LoL regional leagues, such as the LEC and LCS, the role of co-streaming in LoL esports has been a topic of debate for some time. 

However, a video by North American esports organization FlyQuest ignited a new storm of online discussions this week. The video touches on many good arguments but fails to explore them with the necessary depth and nuance, while promoting FlyQuest’s latest content creator signing for several minutes.

Its inflammatory framing ultimately brought more tension, even hate, to a discourse that deserves thorough examination from all angles. 

Interestingly, FlyQuest also adjusted the video title from “The Hidden Cost of Co-Streaming in Esports” to “Content Creators Are (Not) Saving Esports” post publication.

Personally, I believe co-streaming is a symptom, not the root cause, of numerous factors that have been brewing underneath the not-so-shiny surface of the industry, way before esports content creators became this popular. This includes shaky monetization methods, a lack of investment into main broadcast production, and the failure of organizations to build player narratives themselves.

But again, it goes so much deeper than this.

I do think steps such as the new ESL co-streaming guidelines are going in the right direction to ensure that both parties, tournament organizers and content creators, will benefit from their symbiotic relationship in the long run.

If streamers wish to monetize an official broadcast for free, then yes, they should show the full product, the storytelling, the brand segments. Otherwise, the product they leverage for their own content will inevitably deteriorate. 

“I have stated numerous times we are lucky to have Caedrel as our main English commentator for LEC, he amplifies stories and creates hype even for matches that don’t have it…” said esports on-air talent Eefje “Sjokz” Depoortere. “I also said I support and understand a broadcaster wanting their product shown.”

Speaking of deteriorating broadcasts, the EMEA Masters 2026 Winter Grand Final took place just a few days ago. Did you watch it? Because if you wanted to, there was no official English broadcast anyway. Honestly, I couldn’t believe it when I first heard about it.

What is supposed to be the pinnacle of Tier 2 LoL esports in our region, uniting 36 teams from our EMEA Regional Leagues (ERLs), received no official English live coverage for the first time since its inception in 2018. At a time when other Tier 2 LoL leagues are on the brink of extinction, this paints a daunting picture of the ecosystem’s health.

Moreover, LoL professionals have rightfully pointed out that a struggling Tier 2 scene will impact the stability of Tier 1 in the long run.

“We have one of the best Tier 2 systems in the entire world, and it’s currently left to rot. So much culture, personality, skill, story behind all those players that nobody will ever know,” argued LoL caster and content creator Georgia “Troubleinc” Paras on social media. “EMEA Masters is the peak of League of Legends when it comes to player development, scouting, prospects, and storylines. It is currently absolutely buried.”

But the problem goes beyond player development. It’s also about the livelihoods of production talent, casters, and interviewers, who all most commonly gain their first bit of professional experience (and their first paychecks) in Tier 2  — or at least they used to.

“This tournament is meant to be an important part of our region, but over the last few years, it has been getting less and less coverage. When I started as a caster, this show was why I was able to quit my job and pursue esports,” highlighted freelance caster Jake “Hiprain” Matthews. 

To end on a good note, let’s talk about the League of Legends Ranked reset Riot Games announced for Apex players.

According to the official press release, all current Master, Grandmaster, and Challenger players in NA, EUW, EUNE, BR, LAN, and TR will have their visible rank and MMR reset to Masters 0LP once Patch 26.9 launches at the start of Season 2. The developer will also adjust LP gains and LP cutoffs and promises more breakpoints within the Apex ladder for 2027.

While the mid-season Ranked reset surprise might seem drastic, it is in direct response to community feedback from recent months. This year, Riot made significant changes to the LoL Ranked experience, including the long-anticipated return of duo-queue in Apex and autofill adjustments.

As a result, however, many high-elo players have complained about elo inflation, which can be easily abused to reach ranks that do not reflect a player’s skill level.

At the expense of a medium-term drop in matchmaking quality, Riot has now decided to restore LoL’s Ranked ladder integrity. Additionally, this decision was smart from a PR perspective, showing that the developer remains in touch with the community’s sentiment toward its product and is not afraid to admit mistakes.

“I can’t believe they actually did it. Thank you,” celebrated LoL content creator Dantes in response to Riot’s announcement.