RNG, one of the most popular esports organizations in China, has been forced to forfeit every match in the LDL due to financial troubles.
The League of Legends Development League (LDL), China’s secondary professional league, kicked off on Aug. 2. Since then, an unusual situation has unfolded: both Royal Never Give Up (RNG) academy teams have forfeited every single match. So, what is going on in the LDL?
Note: All the legal information was translated by a Reddit user that you can check out here.
RNG's financial problems
RNG is currently facing severe legal and financial turmoil after the Shanghai No.1 Intermediate People's Court fined the organization over 160 million yuan (approximately $22 million) in July 2025. A court notice circulating online labels RNG as a high-risk defaulter and confirms the penalties imposed.
Multiple industry insiders within the Chinese esports scene report that RNG has been involved in a series of legal controversies for some time. These include wage arrears, contractual disputes, unpaid commercial partnership fees, debt transfers involving affiliated companies, and several player arbitration cases.
Court documents show that RNG is under enforced execution due to outstanding debts. This means the organization failed to comply with previous legal or financial obligations, prompting the court to issue mandatory repayment orders.
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RNG forfeits every match in the LDL
Due to these financial problems, both the Royal Club and RNG academy teams have been forfeiting every game in the LDL, including the one against each other. Since RNG is well known for its youth development system, these events were a surprise for many fans.
This comes amid widespread reports of unpaid salaries, including Jian "Uzi" Zihao, the most recent Hall of Legends inductee. Other reports revealed contract disputes with former players and coaches, and unsettled commercial payments with past business partners. There are some rumors that RNG might sell its LPL team slot and shut down the organization.
So far, RNG has not revealed any plans for rebuilding. The team also failed to qualify in the current League of Legends Pro League (LPL) Split. RNG's League of Legends team has won three international titles (MSI 2018, 2021, and 2022) and three domestic titles (LPL Spring 2016, LPL Spring and Summer 2018).
What is going to happen to RNG? We will have to wait and see. That's all for now. Stick around for more League of Legends news, guides, and updates on esports.gg.
