In an interview with Gamespot, Riot Games' Whalen Rozelle and Nick Allen revealed that League of Legends players are now officially recognized as professional athletes by the US government. This is a major breakthrough for the eSports community and will ease entry for international players into the country for training and tournaments.
Whalen revealed that this was a hard fought development, entailing a lengthy period of back and forth so that they can prove the legitimacy of their claim that eSports athletes are real sports athletes. They generally touted the visa benefits of this development.
Athletes are accorded a particular category of visa by US immigration. Regulations require that they enter the country for the sole purpose of going to an event, competition or performance, and proof that they will do so at a high level of performance. To give you a better idea, here is a list of the type of documentation they accept as proof of such high level performance:
- Evidence of having participated to a significant extent in a prior season with a major United States sports league
- Evidence of having participated to a significant extent in international competition with a national team
- Evidence of having participated to a significant extent in a prior season for a U.S. college or university in intercollegiate competition
- A written statement from an official of a major U.S. sports league or an official of the governing body of the sport which details how you or your team is internationally recognized
- A written statement from a member of the sports media or a recognized expert in the sport which details how you or your team is internationally recognized
- Evidence that you or your team is ranked, if the sport has international rankings
- Evidence that you or your team has received a significant honor or award in the sport
However, the upsides to this status make it worth it. Athletes can enter the country alone or in a team, and they can stay to perform for said event for as long as 10 years.
Clearly, this is another feather in the cap for League of Legends players, who just launched their next round of their international tournament in Oceania, and something other competitive game communities such as the FGC would also want to campaign for.
