Riot Games has a new president of esports

Riot Games has announced that it has promoted its global head of esports, John Needham, to the role of president, esports, a role that will see Needham leading the organisation of all of Riot's esports titles and operations.

According to the announcement press release, this management change will see Needham becoming one of the most senior members of Riot's staff, and as part of the promotion, Needham is also establishing an esports structure akin to that of traditional sports leagues, as part of Riot's "company-wide goal to innovate around and ultimately define the future of gaming."

"Riot Games has led the explosive growth of esports over the past decade, and I'm proud to be part of the team charged with establishing our portfolio as a foundation for the future of sports," said Needham. "Esports embodies Riot's mission to inspire the most meaningful and lasting player experiences.

"By further professionalizing our sports, innovating and focusing on sustainability and competitive integrity, and making esports at Riot Games inclusive to all, we will thrive together with new and existing fans. We also will create additional value for our partners and plan to set the highest player-driven standards for competitive gaming well into the next decade."

Needham is also heading up Project Stryker, an initiative that will see various Remote Broadcast Centers built around the world. They will serve as places to expand on Riot's ability to produce esports content, and will be built with the growing scale of Riot's live broadcasts in mind. The first of the centres is set to open in 2022 and will be based in Dublin, Ireland.

In other Riot Games esports news, Whalen Rozelle was also just promoted to the role of head of global esports operations.