Lost Legends: Reclaiming the Golden Age of E-sports

In 2012, an underdog squad called the Taipei Assassins did the unthinkable: beating the best teams in the world to win the League of Legends World Championship and crowning Taiwan as a genuine esports power. Lawmakers praised the players on the legislative floor, broadcasters scrambled for coverage and for a moment it looked like Taiwan had a head start over the rest of the world. Then... quiet. As esports exploded into a global industry, Taiwan's results slid year after year, the player base thinned out, school teams folded and many of the people who had lived through the golden age began to question whether it would ever return. But a decision by Riot to fold the region into a new Asia-Pacific league, with a purpose-built arena in the heart of Taipei, has given the scene a second wind. This episode follows the rise, long decline and unlikely revival of Taiwanese esports, asking whether the golden age really ended or whether the best is still ahead.

This episode was produced in 2025.