Foreign Gamers Get Same U.S. Visas as Professional Athletes

Players traveling to the United States for the official League of Legends annual tournament in Los Angeles this fall will be awarded the same type of visas traditionally given to professional athletes, according to Riot Games.

This is the first time that foreign professional gamers have been given visas by the United States to play in the country.

"This is groundbreaking for eSports; now we can start looking at international players when they come over," said Riot Games eSports manager Nick Allen in a filmed interview with Gamespot. "It's a much easier process because they're actually recognized by the government. This is a huge thing."