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Riot Games on Thursday launched the Dispute Resolution Mechanism (DRM), a new system for solving disputes in League of Legends and VALORANT esports competitions in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.
Launched in partnership with a German law firm, Martens Rechtsanwälte, the new court offers a non-compulsory legal way for players, teams and coaches in Riot Games’ leagues to resolve disputes.
The DRM will employ independent arbitrators to work on contractual and financial disputes, mainly concerning issues regarding unpaid salaries, prize money, bonuses and transfer fees.
The mechanism, which went live on November 7, only applies to Riot Games’ official Tier 1 and Tier 2 leagues in League of Legends and VALORANT, and only in the EMEA region.
Moreover, it will only be available for disputes between coaches, players and teams, and not disputes involving Riot Games.
If it is deemed a success, Riot Games plans to expand the DRM to other regions in the future.
For now, the DRM will only impact the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC), VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) EMEA League, and the two second-division leagues in the region.
Riot Games is working on getting everything ready for the DRM to be available this offseason, urging players to include arbitration clauses in their new contracts.
As explained by David Menz, attorney at Martens Rechtsanwälte, the new system will involve just one round of written submissions and no hearing, prioritising a straightforward path to resolution.
The appointed arbitrator will be able to make a decision without offering a justification, meaning the parties involved will be informed only of the final outcome.
This decision was made to cut the cost of the DRM, which comes with a handling fee of €500–€4,000 (US$540–$4,320), paid by the claimant.
In addition, a €1,000–€5,000 (US$1,080–$5,400) arbitrator fee will be included, paid by both the claimant and the respondent.
Riot Games has launched a Legal Aid Fund to assist with the cost burden, distributing money to teams and players who decide to use the new system but have insufficient financial means.
