Royal Never Give Up

Founding and the Royal Club Identity

The organization originated in 2013 as a professional League of Legends team named Royal Club, entering China's League of Legends Pro League (LPL). Its early year was marked by steady domestic competition. They participated in the G-League 2012 Season 2, finishing 3rd-4th after a 1-4 loss to Team WE. In March, they were knocked out in the group stage of the GIGABYTE StarsWar League. Their first LPL season resulted in a fifth-place finish in the 2013 Spring regular season with a 15-13 record, missing the playoffs. One day later, they placed second at the NVIDIA Game Festival 2013, losing to Team WE in the finals. In July, the team, then known as Royal HZ, was knocked out in the semifinals of both the StarsWar 8 tournament and IEM Season VIII in Shanghai, losing 0-2 to iG on both occasions.

The team's true breakout came in the 2013 LPL Summer season, where a second-place regular season finish with a 13-8 record earned them a spot in the Season 3 China Regional Finals. There, Royal HZ mounted a dramatic comeback from the loser's bracket to defeat OMG in the grand finals. This victory secured China's first seed for the World Championship and the significant advantage of a direct berth into the tournament's quarterfinals, bypassing the group stage entirely.

The 2013 World Championship Run

At the Season 3 World Championship, Royal Club entered as a relative unknown outside the Asian competitive scene, with Worlds being their first major tournament in North America. Their quarterfinal match was a rematch of the Chinese regional final against OMG, a team seen as one of the strongest from the group stage. Royal Club, however, were well prepared and defeated their domestic rivals in a 2-0 victory. They advanced to face Europe's top seed, Fnatic, in a back-and-forth series that Royal Club won 3-1. This placed them in the grand finals against the heavily favored Korean team, SK Telecom T1. In the anticipated match, Royal Club was overwhelmed, losing 0-3, but their second-place finish was a major achievement for the young organization.

After the tournament, the roster saw significant changes. Players Tabe and Wh1t3zZ retired from professional play, while Lucky moved to a substitute role. The star player Uzi became the team captain and briefly experimented with other positions like jungle and mid lane. To prepare for the 2014 season, Royal Club overhauled most of its roster, bringing in new faces including former LMQ Tian Ci top laner Yao and support Bao.

Rebranding and a Second Worlds Final

On 17 May 2014, the previous owner of Royal Club stepped down as CEO, transferring ownership to Li Yande. The team was re-branded as Star Horn Royal Club for the LPL Summer Season. That year, the squad once again fought its way to the grand finals of the League of Legends World Championship. In the semifinals, they beat fellow LPL team OMG 3-2. In the finals, they faced the Korean team Samsung Galaxy White and were defeated 3-1, securing their second consecutive World Championship runner-up finish.

Birth of Royal Never Give Up and Initial Struggles

In 2015, the organization underwent another significant change, adopting the permanent name Royal Never Give Up. The historic Royal Club name was assigned to a newly formed academy team. This transition year was difficult for the main squad. Competing as Star Horn Royal Club, they finished tenth in the 2015 LPL Spring Round Robin, a result that eliminated them from playoff contention entirely. The rebrand to RNG signified a fresh start after this low point.

Rise to Domestic Prominence

The RNG era began to flourish in 2016. The team won the LPL Spring championship and placed second in the Summer split, performances that qualified them for the 2016 World Championship. Their domestic power grew in 2017. That year, RNG won the Demacia Cup Summer 2017 Playoffs in Changsha. In July, they helped the LPL region secure its first championship at the Rift Rivals event. In the LPL, they finished as runners-up in both the Spring and Summer playoffs. In the Spring, they placed first in Group A during the regular season and defeated EDG 3-1 in the semifinals, but lost 0-3 to WE in the finals, missing the 2017 Mid-Season Invitational. In the Summer playoffs, they defeated Team WE 3-2 in the semifinals but lost 2-3 to EDG in the finals.

Despite these second-place finishes, they earned enough championship points to qualify for the 2017 World Championship. At that event, they topped Group C in the group stage and defeated Fnatic 3-1 in the quarterfinals before falling to their old rivals, SK Telecom T1, in the semifinals. RNG's domestic peak came in 2018. They won both the LPL Spring and Summer playoffs. In the Spring playoffs, they defeated WE, then Invictus Gaming in the semifinals, and EDG in the finals. They also secured the Demacia Cup Summer 2018 Playoffs in Zhuhai and helped the LPL win the 2018 Rift Rivals event. In the Summer playoffs, they defeated TOP with a score of 3-1. This period confirmed RNG as a dominant force within China.

Conquering the Mid-Season Invitational

RNG's first major international triumph under its new name came at the 2018 Mid-Season Invitational. The team won first place in the group stage and won a first-place tiebreaker match. They then defeated the LCK's KZ 3-1 in the finals to claim the title. This victory was a landmark for the organization and the LPL region. RNG replicated this success in subsequent years, winning the MSI championship again in 2021 and 2022. These three MSI titles, coupled with LPL Spring wins in 2021 and 2022, defined RNG as a team that excelled in the first half of the competitive season.

Worlds Pursuit and the 2018 Setback

Despite their MSI success, the World Championship remained an elusive goal after 2014. The 2018 tournament presented a major opportunity. After their dominant domestic season, RNG earned enough points to qualify and placed first in their group stage at Worlds. However, their campaign ended in a shocking quarterfinal upset with a loss to Europe's G2 Esports. This loss was a significant disappointment for a squad at the height of its powers and marked a turning point.

Expansion Beyond League of Legends

The Royal Never Give Up organization expanded its competitive reach into other major esports. It fielded a Dota 2 team that qualified for and competed in The International 2019, the premier event for that game. In Overwatch, RNG owned and operated the Chengdu Hunters, a Chinese franchise that competed in the top tier of the Overwatch League. These ventures demonstrated the organization's ambition to build a multi-game brand alongside its flagship League of Legends team.

Legacy and Disbandment

During its decade-long history, the RNG League of Legends division won three international Mid-Season Invitational titles and three domestic LPL titles. After the 2025 season, the division was disbanded. The team is remembered for a foundation of early World Championship finals appearances, a period of sustained domestic dominance in the LPL, and a record of three Mid-Season Invitational championships. From its origins as Royal Club to its reign as RNG, the organization played a defining role in the history of Chinese League of Legends.