MrBeast has said he wants to buy a League of Legends LCS team by around 2027, and a Riot Games co-founder has already replied that the idea is open for discussion. The comment drew immediate attention because the last major crypto-linked push into North American esports ended with the collapse of FTX.
The YouTuber said on social media that he has loved League of Legends for years, and that at age 14 he dreamed of becoming a pro player while looking up to Faker and other top competitors. If he had enough money, he wrote, he would like to acquire an LCS team, spend heavily on salaries, recruit elite talent, and chase a Worlds appearance. He compared the idea to wealthy owners buying NBA franchises. After Riot’s response that they could talk, MrBeast answered: give him a few more years.
A bitcoin backstory gives the idea more weight
The statement landed differently because of MrBeast’s history with bitcoin. According to the source material, his home was burglarized in 2018 and a laptop containing private keys to his bitcoin was stolen. The thief did not know how to extract the crypto assets, and he ultimately kept roughly $2 million worth of BTC. Based on the article’s estimate, if he still holds that position, its value could now exceed $27 million.
The report also says MrBeast’s net worth is estimated at about $2.6 billion. Beast Industries is valued at roughly $5 billion, and his chocolate brand Feastables recorded $250 million in sales in 2024. Those figures are why the market is treating his comments as more than a casual post.
FTX once spent $210 million to reshape esports sponsorships
Crypto and esports have crossed paths before. In June 2021, FTX signed what the report describes as a record naming-rights deal in esports: $210 million over 10 years with TSM, which briefly became “TSM FTX.” In August that year, FTX also entered a seven-year sponsorship agreement with the LCS itself, becoming the league’s official crypto exchange. Crypto.com backed several teams during the same period.
Riot Games still kept limits in place. The article notes that TSM was not allowed to use the “TSM FTX” name in official League of Legends and VALORANT competitions, showing that league officials were cautious about prominent crypto branding inside major tournament broadcasts.
That caution looked justified in November 2022, when FTX collapsed. TSM had to suspend the $210 million agreement, and a wave of crypto esports sponsorships disappeared almost overnight. The damage was not only financial. It also weakened trust in crypto-backed deals across the esports sector.
A weak North American market leaves room for doubt
North American esports is still in a difficult stretch. The LCS has been reorganized into the LTA, or League of Legends Americas, and the source says multiple teams are facing financial strain while viewership and sponsorship levels remain below their peak. MrBeast has made clear that he is not ready to jump in under any conditions. He said he would only consider entering if the LTA structure proves it can remain stable over time.
That approach differs sharply from the way FTX entered the scene. FTX moved fast and spent aggressively to secure branding across teams and leagues. MrBeast, at least for now, is framing a possible purchase as a longer-term move with conditions attached. Community reaction has been split, with some doubting he will follow through and others questioning whether the league can wait that long.
If he does complete a purchase, it would mark a new chapter for crypto-linked money in esports. This time, the discussion is less about naming rights and more about ownership and long-term operation.