LoL: GameWard leaves League of Legends after 7 years

On Friday, GameWard officially announced their departure from League of Legends through a statement shared on X, marking the end of a seven-year journey within the French ecosystem. It is the second french organization leaving the french ecosystem after Izidream yesterday.

Founded in 2018 and originally competing in the Open Tour, GameWard joined the LFL in 2020 and quickly made an impression, finishing second in the Summer Split that same year after falling to GamersOrigin in the final — their best result ever in the league.

In 2022, they reached the semifinals of the EMEA Masters with Paweł “Czekolad” Szczepanik and Nihat “Innaxe” Aliev, cementing their place among the LFL’s competitive mainstays. The organization also took part in multiple LFL Days and became a familiar name in the French scene, though their results in recent seasons have been more inconsistent.

In their farewell video, GameWard described League of Legends as a “major chapter” in their history but hinted that this “may only be a farewell for now.” Beyond the LFL, GameWard was also active in the Coupe des Étoiles and the Nexus Tour, contributing to the development of the wider French ecosystem. They took the opportunity to thank their longtime supporters, affectionately known as the “Purple Humanoïds.”

GameWard will continue to exist beyond League of Legends, as the organization remains active in other esports titles such as Fortnite, showing their commitment to staying an integral part of the French esports landscape.

Since GameWard was expected to stay in the LFL — having finished ahead of BDS Academy in Championship Points — they did not take part in the promotion tournament. This leaves many questions about what the league will look like next year: a potential reinstatement of BDSA, a nine-team LFL, and what would happen if Galions or Gentle Mates were to move up to the LEC for the 2026 Winter Kickoff, given the format previously reported by Sheep Esports. Many uncertainties remain regarding the future of the LFL, whose outcome will be revealed in due time.