LoL Media Teams: The Defining Esports Trend of 2026

League of Legends esports is a highly developed discipline that strives for growth every year, constantly adding something new to make tournaments more engaging for both viewers and the teams themselves. There is a vast number of leagues where teams of all levels compete - from the most prestigious regional tournaments like the LEC, LCK, and LPL, to city-level championships or tournaments organized by streamers and their communities. In this blog, we will talk about teams that, for the most part, are not composed of traditional professional players, yet possess recognition and a fan base larger than those of some top-tier organizations.

What are LoL Media Teams?

League of Legends Media Teams are organizations founded by a media personality, streamer, or other influential figure within the esports sphere. By leveraging the existing reach of their creators, these newly formed teams instantly gain a solid fan base and support with almost no risk.

After all, a strong performance can be presented as a "golden era" or a new epoch. Average results can be framed as a heroic struggle against seasoned professionals or grinders fighting for a spot in higher leagues. Even a negative result can always be played off as a "for-fun stack" competing primarily for content. All of this keeps the audience engaged, unlike in a traditional serious organization where fans might harshly criticize a defeat or a missed ability.

Why do we need LoL Media Teams?

Esports is an incredibly saturated and, at the same time, brutal field of activity. Much like in traditional sports, the competition here is fierce; every player strives to win and become the best in their craft. And as with any sport, esports has its rises and falls, players who are hated, and those who are adored. For us fans, the most important thing is the emotional connection, and media teams are uniquely positioned to provide that.

Many talented players retire without achieving the highest accolades, but having earned the public's love, they often fade into history or transition into full-time streaming. In this context, media teams help players continue doing what they love - experiencing the adrenaline of matches, the tension of practice, the joy of victory, and the sting of defeat.

For the fans, this creates compelling content that is genuinely interesting to follow. Watching a veteran or a rising star - someone you might have only heard of in community forums - achieve success and climb to the top is a fantastic narrative. It is a story that is always engaging to watch and a journey that is truly rewarding to cheer for.

Most Popular LoL Media Teams

Now, let's talk about the media teams that are currently making waves and delivering strong results both in tournaments and the media space, as well as the newly formed rosters we will be keeping a close eye on in the near future.

Los Ratones

The team was founded by Caedrel, one of the most popular League of Legends streamers and a former professional player. The roster consists of streamers and former pro players, which allowed the team to gain popularity very rapidly. However, beyond their media presence, the team has delivered outstanding results in matches.

• NNO Cup Season 2 - 1st place - 2024-12-08
• NLC 2025 Winter - 1st place - 2025-03-02
• EMEA Masters 2025 Winter - 1st place - 2025-03-23
• NLC 2025 Spring - 1st place - 2025-06-01
• EMEA Masters 2025 Spring - 1st place - 2025-06-21
• NLC 2025 Summer - 1st place - 2025-08-30
• EMEA Masters 2025 Summer - 3rd-4th place - 2025-10-20

The team managed to maintain a high level of play throughout the entire year, and matches featuring Los Ratones often gathered more views across various platforms than matches of professional teams.

It is also worth noting that the team, and specifically Caedrel, very frequently showcases the team's practice process, which significantly boosts viewer interest. Some people learn something new, while others are simply interested in observing such a process. All these factors currently make Los Ratones the most popular and successful collective — a media project that has managed to achieve great success on the professional scene.

Los Ratones Roster:

• Thebausffs - Top
• Velja - Jungle
• Nemesis - Mid
• Crownie - Bot
• Rekkles - Support

I would also like to remind you that the European league has changed the format of the winter split to LEC Versus 2026. In this new format, instead of the usual 10 teams, two invited teams from a higher tier league will participate. Due to their outstanding results, Los Ratones received one of these invitations and will compete against the strongest teams in Europe.

French Flair

A media project created by the streamer and caster TraYtoN. The roster was announced twice, with the first announcement occurring at the end of 2024 and the second at the end of 2025. In 2024, the team managed to compete in only one tournament - NNO Cup Season 2 - where they secured 3rd place.

As of now, the team has not yet competed, but the roster itself and the changes that occurred just a few days after the announcement are very interesting. Initially, the roster looked as follows:

• Adam - Top
• Bwipo - Jungle
• Saken - Mid
• 3XA - Bot
• Targamas - Support

However, just a few days after the announcement, it was revealed that the roster did not comply with league regulations due to an excess of veteran players. As a result, Bwipo left the team on December 9, and on December 14, Swedish streamer NattyNatt was signed as the new jungler. Every player is incredibly strong and brings extensive experience to the table. Thus, French Flair can be considered one of the most promising teams set to compete in the 2026 season.

NNO (No Need Orga)

The NNO team represents a unique phenomenon on the German League of Legends scene, born from the desire of top streamers to compete at a high level without the control of professional organizations. This philosophy of independence allowed a group of friends not only to entertain the public but also to break into the top division of the Prime League, competing on equal terms with experienced academies and participating in high-profile show matches against T1. A vital part of the project's history was its own tournament, the NNO Cup, where Los Ratones made their debut in December 2024 and Drututt’s stack also competed.

For a long time, there was the legendary "Golden Roster" (NNO Old), which included Tolkin (Top), Agurin (Jungle), NoWay (Mid), Broeki (Bot), and Karni (Support). However, at the turn of 2024-2025, the roster underwent changes: Broeki moved to another project, and Agurin founded his own team, DND.

The current NNO roster is as follows:

• Tolkin (Niklot Stüber) - Top
• Obsess (Patrick Engelmann) - Jungle
• NoWay (Frederik Hinteregger) - Mid
• Riku (Leon Ali) - Bot
• Karni (Lukas Steininger) - Support
• Kaymin (Armin Kaymer) - Mid (Substitute)

The team actively participates in a variety of tournaments ranging from D-Tier to B-Tier, showing results with mixed success. Above all, however, NNO is a team that has made a major contribution to the development of the scene and the media team movement as a whole.

DND

The DND project, full name Dung Dynasty, was created by the streamer Agurin in January 2025 immediately after his departure from the main NNO roster. The core philosophy of the collective lies in demonstrating high-level gameplay (High ELO), which sets them apart from purely entertainment-based stacks. Initially, the team focused on a format of open scrims and participation in streamer tournaments, such as the NNO Cup, allowing players to maintain independence and broadcast all their games live without the restrictions of professional organizations. However, almost immediately, the project entered into a partnership with the CGN Esports organization, and the roster now competes under their tag in regular leagues while maintaining its media-driven character.

Dung Dynasty Active Roster:

• Send0o - Top
• Agurin - Jungle
• Phantasm - Mid
• Reptile - Bot
• Lucky - Support

Dung Dynasty is a prime example of purely entertainment-focused content. It is simply a gathering of the strongest players in one team to have fun in open tournaments. A strong media presence, straightforward gameplay with an emphasis on fun and highlights make this team so attractive and interesting.

Is there a future for LoL Media Teams and their players?

As I mentioned earlier, media teams are established by influential personalities whose primary goal is content creation. However, these teams also provide significant opportunities for young players to get noticed and for veteran players to stay relevant in the public eye. A very striking example of a team that started thanks to media personalities and became one of the strongest teams in the LEC is Karmine Corp.

Karmine Corp began in 2020 as an initiative by French streamers Kameto and Prime, who leveraged their massive fan base to build an organization capable of challenging traditional clubs. The project instantly became a cultural phenomenon in France, drawing thousands of spectators not only on streams but also in stadiums during their show matches under the KCX brand. Sporting success followed quickly: the team stormed into the LFL and, in a short period, set an unprecedented record by winning three consecutive EMEA Masters tournaments.

This period was a turning point where media popularity converted into the status of a top-tier club, capable of signing global stars of Rekkles' caliber. The logical conclusion of this journey was the purchase of a slot in Europe's premier league - the LEC - which finally secured their status as a full-fledged participant in the top flight. Today, the organization possesses a powerful infrastructure, including its academy roster Karmine Corp Blue, and remains the gold standard for how a media team can evolve into a full-scale sports empire.

Thus, every media team has the potential to break onto the pro scene. For Riot Games itself, this is also a major plus. Such teams increase viewership and the overall popularity of the game. Evidence of this is the creation of LEC Versus 2026. The invited team Los Ratones, with their incredibly large fan base and media presence, will boost viewership in the LEC region and diversify the tournament for fans who have grown accustomed to the regular teams of the region.