As the 2023 League of Legends season comes to its end at the Gocheok Sky Dome, Riot Games shared the hosting city for the tournament the following year. The O2 Arena in London will open its doors to the 2024 Championship Finals next November as confirmed by Riot today.
After hosting 2023’s Mid-Season Invitational in May, League esports will be coming back to the U.K. and bringing for the first time the most anticipated competition of the year to its capital, London. Global head of League Esports Naz Aletaha said London’s rich history is the “perfect backdrop” for League’s biggest stage of the competitive year.
“We were blown away by the passion and energy from fans in London throughout the 2023 Mid-Season Invitational, and we’re eager to welcome them to the O2 where our finalists will take the same stage as the many icons who preceded them,” Alethaha said.
It has almost been a decade since the U.K. had a Worlds stop on its home soil, but the positive impact left by MSI this year demonstrated the region has a solid fanbase. According to Riot, the event saw a 58 percent increase in year-over-year viewership from 2022’s edition of MSI and Riot might hope to repeat the same feat with Worlds next year as well.
With the U.K.’s second-highest seating capacity, the O2 Arena is renowned for hosting legendary artists and bands, including the likes of Adele, Beyoncé, and U2, as well as major sporting events. Now, esports will grace the hallowed halls of the O2, with Worlds finals set to commence next year on Nov. 2.
London mayor Sadiq Khan said the event will bring together esports fans from across the globe while also helping the city showcase its “cutting edge gaming industry.”
League’s fans can begin their preparation for next year’s Worlds’ Finals in London but might have to wait for other EMEA cities to be announced if they want to attend the other stages of the tournament.
Published: Nov 19, 2023 02:30 am