Pro League of Legends players in North America initiated a walk out earlier this week, with representative body the LCS Players Association announcing that the vote "overwhelmingly passed." Riot Games has now responded to the strike action with a statement that threatens to cancel the upcoming LCS summer season, leaving the region without a representative at 2023 Worlds.

The action started in protest to a rules change whereby Riot Games no longer requires teams competing in the top-level LCS league to also field a team for the developmental-level NACL league, PC Gamer reported. A number of teams immediately cut their NACL rosters in response to the change, which according to the LCS Players Association, impacted at least 70 jobs including players, coaches, and managers.

The LCSPA voted to strike on May 28, after the association deemed Riot's new NACL plan unsatisfactory for players. "This is not a decision LCS players have come to lightly," the LCSPA said in a statement on Twitter. "Joining hands to put competition aside is a testament to the significance and urgency of the issues at hand."