Nongshim Esports recently officially announced the signing of Lee "Scout" Ye-chan and also confirmed its strong financial health in a LinkedIn post written by Jihwan Oh. The CEO of the South Korean organization thus confirms that the 2026 transfer window for its League of Legends roster is closed and that preparations for the upcoming season are underway.

Beyond the sporting aspect, the founder expresses satisfaction with the organization's economic performance: "2025 is expected to be the first year that Nongshim Esports records over 7 billion KRW (USD 4,8M) in revenue and achieves an operating profit at the same time," details the CEO, adding that a similar trend is expected for 2026.

A step towards profitability

Another significant development is that the reliance on funding from the parent company Nongshim has fallen below 30%. "This year demonstrated the impact of expanding revenues from esports league distributions and prize money, as well as the growth of our own businesses such as the PC room business and the academy," he explains. He specifies that "Nongshim has continued to support and invest in us, both materially and emotionally, beyond their original commitments."

In a context of rising player investments since 2022 in the LCK, Jihwan Oh highlights the organization's strategy: "We have chosen to patiently build our assets for the future, creating today a stable model focused on international growth, driven in particular by our PC room business, academy, and team headquarters."

The momentum observed at Nongshim Esports is part of a broader movement within the LCK, as journalist Kim Byung-ho recently explained in an article for the media Inven. He notes that several teams are returning to profitability, notably thanks to structural adjustments decided by the league, such as the 33% reduction in franchise fees initiated in 2024.

All quotes are translated from Korean.