League of Legends seems to have gained another traditional German club. In a cryptic video on X on Wednesday, VfB Stuttgart hinted at becoming active in the Riot game
The clip on VfB eSports’ X profile only lasts around 50 seconds and almost raises more questions than it answers. However, it seems clear that the traditional Swabian club will expand its eSports efforts and field a team in League of Legends (LoL) in the future. So far, the men with the chest ring have concentrated on virtual soccer and recently reached the semi-finals of the DFB ePokal
Does it sound twice in Stuttgart?
The reigning Bundesliga runners-up already seem to have found their first professional and coach for the LoL adventure: Max Schaller. The League veteran known as ‘StormFury’ most recently coached NNO Prime, where he was also available as a substitute player before his departure in November 2023. Prior to that, he gained his first experience at another traditional club, Hertha BSC.
At the Swabians, it looks as though Schaller, who is not named in the video, will take on a role as player-coach. There is talk of support and support that goes beyond that.
Information that matches the profile description of Schaller’s X account. On the one hand, the 30-year-old lists his work as “Head of LoL” at the gaming foundation “esports player foundation”, which aims to promote talent and equality in virtual sports. On the other hand, Schaller uses two question marks to indicate that he will soon be working as a “support/coach” for an as yet unnamed team.
Red and white instead of royal blue
According to hints in the video, VfB will start in the Prime League, the largest LoL league in German-speaking countries, which will lose a major figurehead in FC Schalke 04. The Royal Blues, who had already sold their starting place in the League’s top division, the LEC, for a good €26 million in 2021 following their relegation from the Bundesliga, announced in March that they would be withdrawing from LoL eSport altogether after eight years.
However, according to the latest information, the Swabians will not be taking over the squires’ place in the Prime League. After all, S04 announced its LoL exit at the end of 2024, while Stuttgart’s X-Post talks about an earlier entry into the summer split