This October, the world’s largest esports tournament is coming to the United States. Worlds 2026, the League of Legends World Championship, is set to fill arenas across America with players from Korea, China, Europe, Brazil, and beyond amid the most aggressive immigration enforcement climate in a generation.
Almost seven million people watched the Worlds 2025 final. By any measure, it is a global event. However, less than six months from opening day, Congress opened the door for a major bottleneck to entry. The House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to unlock nearly $70 billion in new funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), intended to sustain the two agencies through the rest of President Donald Trump’s term. A bill has yet to be written, but the message is clear: immigration enforcement is growing, and it is here to stay.
Riot Games Executive Has Two Words: “We Hope”
For most, the vote was just political noise. But, for the teams, players, and organizations preparing for Worlds 2026, it’s significant. So significant, in fact, that executives at Riot Games have already begun to hedge their bets. Global Head of League of Legends Esports Chris Greeley chose his words very carefully in March 2026, when he was asked whether everyone would be able to make it to the tournament.
Asked directly what would happen if a qualified team were unable to enter the country, Greeley’s answer was striking:
“We hope that all qualified players for Worlds will have a smooth entry into the US.”
The executive clarified that he couldn’t “remember an international event in the last couple of years where there weren’t some visa or immigration concerns right up until the event.”
However, Greeley added that his team is “always looking at contingencies,” and would “continue working directly” with teams having trouble entering the country.
When asked specifically about Latin American fans concerned with traveling to the U.S. in the current climate, Greeley said, “We’re trying to be thoughtful about where, when, and how we host our global events, and that includes being as realistic as possible about the broader environment in any region we go to.”
The concern is not without warrant. Players navigating the P-1A athlete visa — commonly used for professional competitors entering the United States — have historically faced inconsistent rulings and last-minute denials. Sentinels player Mohamed Amine “johnqt” Ouarid faced visa issues in 2024 when attempting to return to the U.S. via Morocco, while LOUD’s players were left stranded in Ireland due to delays that threatened their participation in a major Valorant tournament. In 2020, Team Liquid was forced to find a last-minute replacement for Broxah’s spot in the LCS Spring Split after his visa was delayed. Famously, Swedish Super Smash Bros player Leffen was denied entry in 2015 because United States Citizenship and Immigration Services declared the game was not a true sport.
The problem isn’t new. The scale of enforcement is, and it could spell trouble for future tournaments.
ICE and CBP have received close to $130 billion in new funding since 2025. Wednesday’s vote sets the stage for billions more. Riot hasn’t changed its commitment to host Worlds in the United States — the venues are booked, the format is set, and the tournament is happening. The agencies aren’t going anywhere, and neither is Worlds 2026.
