A look inside League of Legends esports on the eve of its biggest event

On the eve of the biggest ever League of Legends tournament, we get another behind-the-scenes look inside just what it takes to get there.

The final piece of Riot Games’ three-part documentary series Road to Worlds, which chronicles the trials and tribulations of League of Legends professional gamers in their quest to reach the $2.2 million Riot World Championships, released today.

The Riot World Championships begins Wednesday and runs over the course of one month, whittling a field of sixteen teams from around the globe down to a single champion.

The episode, “Road to Worlds: The Road to Seoul,” follows the evolution of Korean esports and Korean League of Legends, showing the professionalism prevalent in the world’s strongest region while introducing two of the favorites—Samsung White and Najin White Shield. 

One Korean team who won’t be there are the Season 3 world champions, SK Telecom T1 K. From dominating team featuring the best ever League player Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok to struggling squad failing to qualify for worlds, “The Road to Seoul” shows SK Telecom T1 K’s fall from grace.

The first two parts of the series followed players at each of the last three world championships, telling the story of League’s rise as an esport through the lense of the pro players whose own stories formed the fabric of that tale.

Esports is a hobby, a dream, a passion. For the players competing over the next month, it’s also a life. A life filled with success and failure and happiness and sadness and all the things that make life, life. Except girlfriends—Korean teams aren’t allowed to have them. Until they win.

Screengrab via Riot Games/YouTube