Prime League organizer Freaks 4U Gaming is undergoing a change. While an old acquaintance is taking over the European competition in the LEC, the company is focusing more intensively on its home turf with a new name
As Freaks 4U Gaming and Techniker Krankenkasse announced on Monday, the largest German-language LoL league will be called “Techniker Prime League” in future. A well-considered partnership that means more than just renaming the competition. “The aim of the partnership between Prime League and TK is to promote mental health problems and healthy behavior in gaming,” reads the statement from the two companies.
A vision that Julia Weitzel, Head of Product Management at Freaks 4U Gaming, underlines: “As leading companies in our respective industries, both TK and Freaks are ideally positioned to actively make a difference. Mental and physical health are important topics that have been increasingly recognized in eSports and gaming in recent years.” In the health insurance company, Freaks 4U has “found a strong partner to work together for healthcare. “
Restructuring at the Prime League
The naming partnership is not the only new development at Freaks 4U, however. The Riot licensee, operator of the Prime League, is going through a phase of change that is also reflected in the reporting on the LoL league. For example, it was recently announced that Nico ‘Pixavis’ Timmermann would no longer be working as a host for the Prime League from the coming season
In response to an inquiry from eSport, Freaks 4U justified the change of host and the creation of a new on-air team with the desire to “further develop the Prime League and increase interaction with teams, players and fans in 2024”. A dual role as host and product manager is being considered in order to create a “faster and more transparent way” to “involve the community more actively in developments and updates”. Who will take the lead in this position will be announced in the coming days.
The focus on the Prime League is part of a larger change within the Berlin-based company, which discontinued its LoL community project “Summoner’s Inn” at the end of 2023. “Changes in the market that mean we can no longer meet our requirements and those of the community” made this step unavoidable.
A step that will see Freaks 4U withdraw completely from the LEC. “The estimated future key figures in international comparison are no longer at the desired level,” the company told eSport. Accordingly, the company is now focusing its own resources on the Prime League. “In the future, we want to continue to drive forward broadcasting, storytelling, league operations and the exchange with the community and are already starting this season with a handful of updates and new concepts for players and fans. “
‘Tolkin’ replaces former employer
Freaks 4U’s successor as German co-streamer of the LEC is an old acquaintance. Niklot ‘Tolkin’ Stüber will accompany Europe’s top teams on their way to the Worlds. The streamer worked as a caster at Freaks 4U Gaming between 2020 and 2022 before making a name for himself as an independent co-streamer with the Worlds after a brief eSports comeback in 2023. Surprisingly, ‘Tolkin’ was given the rights to stream Worlds in German by Riot Games and promptly attracted more viewers than his former employer, whom he now succeeds in the LEC.
Meanwhile, it remains to be seen how Freaks 4U Gaming will continue beyond the Prime League. “We will continue to see what added value we can contribute to the League of Legends ecosystem in the future.” Community projects such as “Summoner’s Inn” are particularly close to the company’s heart, but will initially take second place to the Prime League.
