On June 6, Dignitas officially announced a merger with Clutch Gaming. Most significantly, Dignitas will acquire Clutch’s League of Legends franchise.
Dignitas and Clutch Gaming will merge, bringing Dignitas back to the LCS. (Image via Dignitas)
This will see Dignitas return to the League Championship Series, Riot Games’ North American League of Legends circuit. Dignitas was a prominent competitor in LoL prior to the franchising process in fall of 2017, but failed in their bid to acquire one of the ten spots awarded by Riot.
Michael Prindiville, CEO of Dignitas, said in a press release, “The return of Dignitas to League of Legends is the best story in esports and the comeback narrative that we’re thrilled to tell in lockstep with our fans.”‘
Clutch Gaming will continue to compete with the Clutch branding through the end of the 2019 LCS season. Following that, they will rebrand as Dignitas.
Dignitas is part of the Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment portfolio that includes the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, while Clutch Gaming was formerly owned and operated by the NBA’s Houston Rockets. This is the first time an LCS franchise has changed hands since its inception in 2017.
The LCS heads into the second week of the Summer Split this weekend. They will face the Golden Guardians on June 8 and 100 Thieves on June 9.
