Riot Games Korea has reported a strong financial recovery for 2025, bouncing back after a weaker performance in 2024. The company released its audited results through Korea’s DART filing system, covering the full year ending December 31, 2025.
The Korean unit of Riot Games Inc., which is owned by Tencent, recorded total revenue of ₩491.3 billion (about $334.1 million). This is an increase of 10.8% compared to ₩443.3 billion in 2024.
Profit growth was much stronger than revenue growth. Operating profit more than doubled, rising 117.5% to ₩102.7 billion ($69.8 million), primarily due to the LCK (League of Legends Champions Korea) merger into the company. Net income also increased by 51.8% to ₩98.2 billion ($66.8 million). At the same time, operating expenses slightly decreased by 1.8%, showing tighter cost control during the year.
Most of the company’s revenue continued to come from in-game purchases. About 93% of total revenue, or ₩458.7 billion ($311.9 million), came from virtual items such as skins, bundles, and in-game currency across popular titles like League of Legends, VALORANT, and Wild Rift. Service revenue, which now includes esports operations, stood at ₩27.5 billion ($18.7 million), while merchandise and other income made up a much smaller share.
The merger of LCK Inc. into Riot Games Korea at the end of October 2025 was a major development. The LCK, Korea’s top League of Legends esports league, had been operating as a separate company but had built up losses of about ₩45.6 billion ($31.0 million). By merging it into the main business, Riot simplified its structure and improved efficiency. However, LCK’s financial details are no longer reported separately.
A large part of Riot Games Korea’s earnings continues to be paid to its parent company overseas. The company paid around ₩133.1 billion ($90.5 million) in royalties and ₩100.3 billion ($68.2 million) in service and IT fees. In total, about 70% of its revenue flows back to Riot Games Inc. through royalties, fees, and dividends. It also paid ₩62 billion ($42.2 million) in dividends, with another ₩97 billion ($66.0 million) scheduled to be paid in early 2026.
To sum things up, the 2025 results show a clear turnaround for Riot Games Korea. The company benefited from steady spending on in-game content and better cost management, along with the integration of LCK operations into its core business.
Follow The Esports Radar on social media:
