The LCS finals are coming to Madrid

Europe’s top League of Legends competition will conclude in Madrid, Spain this season.

The Palacio Vistalegre will host the League Championship Series (LCS) Spring Split finals on April 18 and 19. The Palacio built on top of a bullfighting ring dating back to 1908, now features a modern arena that seats up to 15,000 people

A best-of-five series between Europe’s two top teams will determine the league’s champion, while a third-place match the day before will be important in the race to Worlds.

The winner in Madrid will book a ticket to sunny Tallahassee, Fla. and the Mid-Season Invitational, an international tournament pitting the world’s best teams against each other. Of course, earning an appearance at America’s 125th largest city is hardly glamorous after playing in one of Europe’s largest and most historic cities.

More importantly, the Spring Split playoffs award Championship Points which will earn teams a chance at competing in the Riot World Championships at the conclusion of the Summer LCS season. The winner takes 90 points, which will go a long way towards securing a guaranteed spot at the biggest event of the League calendar.

The LCS finals heading to Madrid checks off Europe’s third biggest city for an event that previously hit London and Paris in earlier seasons. Spain has a storied tradition in League of Legends. 

Enrique “xPeke” Cedeño Martínez and Madrid-born Carlos “ocelote” Rodríguez Santiago have stoof out as two of the game’s biggest stars for years. All-Spanish team Giants Gaming competed in the very first season of the LCS before falling in relegation, then made it back with a different Spanish roster. Right now, however, their playoff hopes are dwindling, so there’s almost no chance we’ll see a Spanish player wield the mouse in Madrid.

That may be a shame for what will likely be an energetic local crowd, but they’ll still have plenty to cheer for when Europe’s best teams take the stage in April.

Image via Montaplex/pixabay (CC0 Public Domain)