According to a release, Riot Games Korea donated five unmanned ticketing machines to Seoul’s Gyeongbokgung Palace as part of efforts to improve the visitor experience at one of South Korea’s best-known cultural heritage sites.

The donation was marked by a ceremony held on March 17th at Gyeongbokgung in Seoul’s Jongno-gu district, in collaboration with the Cultural Heritage Administration. According to the release, the new machines replaced ageing units at the palace’s Gwanghwamun ticket office, where rising visitor numbers had increased wear and tear, malfunction rates and maintenance costs. The upgrade is expected to reduce waiting times and improve convenience for visitors.

Visitor numbers at Gyeongbokgung have grown sharply in recent years, reaching 3.38m in 2022, 5.57m in 2023 and 6.44m in 2024, according to the release. Riot Games, the developer and publisher behind titles such as League of Legends and VALORANT, previously supported the replacement of ticketing machines at Changdeokgung in 2024.

In a statement, Hyukjin Cho, CEO of Riot Games Korea, said: “Gyeongbokgung is a representative cultural heritage site visited by many citizens and tourists. We hope this donation of unmanned ticketing machines will help improve visitor convenience.

“It is especially meaningful that these efforts were made possible thanks to the support of players who love Riot Games’ titles. We will continue to carry out cultural heritage protection activities going forward.”

Riot Games’ heritage work in Korea dates back to 2012, when it signed a preservation agreement with the Cultural Heritage Administration. Since then, the company has supported projects including the purchase and repatriation of cultural assets, the preservation and use of royal artefacts and palaces, and youth education programmes centred on cultural heritage.

According to the release, Riot Games Korea’s cumulative donations had reached ₩10bn by 2025, making it the largest private-sector contributor to the country’s cultural heritage protection sponsorship programme.

The donation also added to Riot Games’ broader footprint in South Korea, where the company has remained closely tied to both gaming and esports. Alongside operating titles including League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics and VALORANT, Riot previously hosted the 2023 League of Legends World Championship in Korea.

In recent years, Riot has also expanded further into entertainment beyond games through music, comics, publishing and television, most notably with its animated series Arcane.