Riot Games Expands Cisco League of Legends Esports Partnership 

Riot Games continues partnership with Cisco for League of Legends Esports global events

Riot Games announced Thursday that Cisco will continue to be a key partner related to League of Legends esports, through an expanded global partnership.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Under the terms of the new deal, Cisco has been named the official security partner of all League of Legends Esports global events, in addition to serving as the official enterprise technology partner for the global league.

In a release, Riot said that it has utilized Cisco’s networking technology to “improve the competitive experience for professional LoL players as well as enhance the broadcast experience for millions of fans around the world.” Riot will continue to utilize “The Realm,”  a private Cisco game server used exclusively for LoL Esports’ major global events, including the League of Legends World Championship (Worlds) and the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI). This server provides competitors with “a near-zero ping environment to ensure equitable and fair play for all participants at the highest level of the sport,” according to Riot.

Riot’s Remote Broadcast Centers powered by AWS  (in Dublin, Ireland and Seattle, Washington) will also incorporate Cisco IP Fabric for Media technology and power live esports production and delivery across the organization’s portfolio of titles, including regional and global events.

Riot will also explore other opportunities to leverage Cisco’s portfolio of security and digital experience assurance solutions, including the company’s ThousandEyes and Duo’s identity security solutions.

Finally, Cisco and Riot will continue to work together to “advance their shared commitment to creating opportunities for the next generation of technology professionals, by supporting programs such as Cisco’s Networking Academy, with a focus on driving more diversity and inclusion in the industry.”