The Four Horsemen

The Esports World Cup 2026 will not be in Riyadh, and the industry that couldn't stop tweeting five years ago has gone completely silent.

Thorin, Richard Lewis, and MonteCristo reunite to break down what the EWC's last-minute move to Paris actually reveals about the Saudi Arabian sportswashing project. The official line is that this was always part of the plan. The reality, per Richard's reporting, is that boots-on-the-ground staff were being told it was 100% Riyadh the day before the announcement. That gap between the press release and what people were actually told is the whole story.

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MonteCristo and Thorin lay out why co-streaming isn't new, and why esports never really left it.

Richard Lewis does not appear in this episode, but will return next time.

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Richard Lewis, Thorin, MonteCristo, and DoA go deep on how the Overwatch League went from a billion-dollar promise to an industry cautionary tale — with Jeff Kaplan's Lex Fridman interview as the jumping-off point.

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New York just sued Valve, and Harris Peskin breaks down why the CS case gambling lawsuit could reshape how video games make money.

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What actually happened to 2XKO? Rooflemonger joins MonteCristo, Thorin, and Richard Lewis for a deep dive into Riot Games’ new fighter: 2XKO. We discuss its rocky launch, confusing name, use of the League of Legends IP, small roster, monetization strategy, and why expectations may have been wildly misaligned with reality... leading to layoffs. We also explore how the broader gaming industry’s shift toward legacy IP affects new titles and why single‑player experiences still matter in fighting games.

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Should Riot Games remove franchising from League of Legends? In this episode of The Four Horsemen, Monte, Thorin, Richard Lewis, and Guest Horseman/esports attorney Harris Peskin break down why franchising was created, what the teams actually demanded from Riot, how Overwatch League accelerated the timeline, and why dissolving franchising today would be far more complicated—and far more damaging—than many fans realize. We also cover the recent 2XKO news and the flawed arguments in The Wooloo article calling for franchising to be removed.

NOTE: The opening line of this episode was re-recorded due to an error. The rest of the video is left intact.

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The esports model for teams is broken! We break down why the current esports ecosystem is financially broken for teams and how publisher-controlled revenue models have created deep misalignment. Featuring Gen.G CEO Arnold Hur, the conversation explores why previous league revenue models failed, how Riot’s approach in League of Legends and VALORANT differs, the rise of “moneyball” roster building, and what a future Superleague or structural reset might look like. We also cover alternative revenue opportunities, the state of sponsorship value, and what meaningful changes could actually save the ecosystem.

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The Four Horsemen deliver their annual State of League of Legends! PapaSmithy joins MonteCristo, Thorin, and Richard Lewis begin by discussing the LCS and its troubled recent history. They react to "The Data" that convinced Riot Games to switch the LCS to weekdays and bemoan the missed opportunities that the league ignored for years.

The crew also dives into topics surrounding League of Legends as a game, including the upcoming Client update, the game's readability issues, and the unfortunate state of new player experience. They close the show by discussing profitability of LoL esports, focusing on massive player salaries, statements made by T1 leadership, and ideas that could potentially help teams stay afloat.

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The Four Horsemen return with their annual State of Counter-Strike special, featuring messioso (now Head of CS Operations at 100 Thieves) to break down the health of North American and global Counter-Strike in 2025. They dive into 100 Thieves’ re-entry into CS with a European-based roster, the impact of betting sponsors, and what Rain, gla1ve, and a rumored device pickup really mean for the scene. They also debate expectations for new “super teams,” the dominance of Vitality, the resurgence of FURIA, and whether this year ranks among the all-time great CS seasons.

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Join esports analysts and industry veterans as they unpack the shocking demise of theScore Esports YouTube channel, dissect Twitch’s ongoing struggles, and expose the shifting power dynamics fueled by Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in competitive gaming.

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