Riot Games heralds start of Worlds 2026 with donation to US schools

After what seems like years of cries about the North American region being dead and the lack of infrastructure and ecosystem being the problem, Riot Games has put its money where it’s mouth is by investing in US schools through a renewed partnership with nonprofit DonorsChoose.

The initiative, revealed by release earlier this week (Oct. 12), will see Riot Games commit $500,000 in funding to esports-related projects in California, Texas, and New York, through the DonorsChoose organization. Teachers from these states will be able to access funding for projects such as after-school clubs and integrating gaming into lesson plans and career help.

Riot Games to invest in US school programs

Talking about the recently announced project, Alix Guerrier, CEO of DonorsChoose explained why the partnership was so important:

“Students thrive when learning taps into their passions. Riot Games continues to support public school teachers with resources to help students build peer connections and explore careers in STEM. This is a model for what it looks like to tap into a student’s potential."

As per the release, Riot Games has reportedly funded over $1 million in gaming and esports-related resources for public school teachers through DonorsChoose. “This collaboration with the education nonprofit is one of the many ways Riot has been supporting the next generation of designers, developers, and industry leaders to make a long-term impact” explained the release.

But as a wider initiative, the move seems to hope to spark more engagement with Riots’ products within the US school system. As talked about by NA esports mind Christopher “Montecristo” Mykles, takeup in schools of Riot’s flagship title, League of Legends has floundered in recent years, with the former commentator explaining that in his experience some high schools couldn’t even put together a single five-person team of any skill-level.

Overall, the initiative seems like a slam dunk for Riot, and indeed the young people of the US schooling system, with one of the country’s biggest game developers contributing directly to their future.

The investment announcement coincides with the kickoff of Worlds 2026, of course hosted in the US this year. From Oct. 15 (today), until Nov. 14. The NA host region, the LCS league, are not expected to advance far in the tournament.