If I recall correctly, the ownership structure is set up in a way such that Riot has creative license over the game - when Tencent wanted Riot to build a mobile

If I recall correctly, the ownership structure is set up in a way such that Riot has creative license over the game - when Tencent wanted Riot to build a mobile version of League, for example, Riot refused: https://www.theinformation.com/articles/tensions-flare-behind-the-scenes-of-league-of-legends https://www.theinformation.com/articles/tensions-flare-behin... From the article: > Two years later, after watching the game take off in the U.S., Tencent raised its stake to 94% at a price valuing Riot at about $400 million. The remainder was held by the founders and employees, who wanted to keep at least some equity. > That deal would prove pivotal in what was to come. To persuade Messrs. Beck and Merrill to sell most of the equity, Tencent’s international chief David Wallerstein negotiated an agreement that ensured Riot could operate almost like a separate company. Tencent took two seats on Riot’s five-member board, while Riot’s founders took two others. The fifth seat was empty, a structure which remains in place. So yes, technically Tencent owns Riot, but they don't control Riot. I guess from a semantic viewpoint I was incorrect in that they "own" League of Legends, but as far as Riot is concerned Tencent doesn't have any control over its development, including building an API to support AI/ML research.