Riot Games shuts down effort to build a streaming rival to Twitch

Competitors play in a ‘League Of Legends’ championship series video game competition at the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle on Aug 29, 2014. REN would have added to the livestreaming experience by integrating Riot’s games, so that players could receive bonuses for watching or purchase in-game items. REN was in an internal testing phase before it was cancelled. — AP

Tencent Holdings Ltd’s Riot Games unit cancelled plans to introduce a streaming platform that would have competed with Amazon Inc’s Twitch, Bloomberg has learned.

Riot’s Esports Network, nicknamed REN, was a web and mobile app where fans could watch and engage with Riot’s competitive games and professional players. The Los Angeles-based League Of Legends developer made the move as part of an overall restructuring where it cut 11% of staff, or 530 employees.