In a groundbreaking development for the esports community, Riot Games’ League of Legends is set to make a monumental appearance at the Saudi Arabia Esports World Cup 2024.
This announcement comes after the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman unveiled plans for the Esports World Cup, an annual event poised to begin in the summer of 2024 in Riyadh. The event, transforming from the annual Gamers8, is slated to become one of the largest and most significant esports tournaments on the global calendar.
Renowned esports journalist Jacob Wolf, through The Jacob Wolf Report, disclosed details from an internal email sent by Riot Games during the holiday break.
This communication confirmed Riot Games’ ongoing discussions to finalize the participation of League of Legends in this inaugural event.
The Esports World Cup, backed by Saudi Arabia, is anticipated to be an unparalleled global esports spectacle. It aims to bolster the gaming and esports sectors, cementing Saudi Arabia’s status as a leading international hub for esports. The tournament is expected to feature a wide array of popular games across different genres, with some of the most lucrative prize pools ever seen in the history of esports.
Specifics about the tournament format remain under wraps. However, it’s known that various organizations will field different esports teams across multiple tournaments, vying for the prestigious title of the Esports World Cup champion.
In a significant move for League of Legends, Riot Games has reportedly decided to allow two teams each from the League Championship Series (LCS), League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC), League of Legends Pro League (LPL), and League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) to participate in this event.
However, the selection of these teams will be at the discretion of each league, as Riot Games will not be directly involved in their selection.
Chris Greeley, League of Legends’ global head of esports strategy, has requested all associated leagues to pause activities during the first week of July, aligning with Riot’s annual employee summer break and the July 4 holiday, to accommodate the Esports World Cup.
Moreover, the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) 2024 is tentatively scheduled for May, as per the same internal communication. Riot Games is also exploring partnerships with third-party organizers for licensing, aiming to expand the League of Legends esports ecosystem further. This includes engaging with various tournament organizers, such as the Esports World Cup.
This development is a significant step for Riot Games in Saudi Arabia.
The company had previously briefly engaged with the Saudi city Neom in 2020 for the LEC partnership, which was promptly revoked following community backlash and internal objections. Alberto Guerrero, EMEA Director of Esports at Riot Games, acknowledged the hasty nature of the Neom partnership and expressed a commitment to reevaluating internal structures to prevent similar oversights.
“As a company and as a league, we know that it’s important to recognize when we make mistakes and quickly work to correct them. After further reflection, while we remain steadfastly committed to all of our players and fans worldwide including those living in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, the LEC has ended its partnership with NEOM, effective immediately. In an effort to expand our esports ecosystem, we moved too quickly to cement this partnership and caused rifts in the very community we seek to grow. While we missed our own expectations in this instance, we’re committed to reexamining our internal structures to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
As the esports world eagerly awaits more details, the participation of League of Legends in the Saudi Arabia Esports World Cup 2024 marks a new chapter in international esports, promising an event of unparalleled scale and excitement.
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