Red Bull and Super League Gaming have combined forces to create North America’s premier tournament for amateur League of Legends players. On June 23 the two companies will host the Red Bull All-Stars, an elite showcase for the top competitors from Super League’s third season of the League of Legends City Champs tournament.Â
Founded by SLG in 2016, City Champs is the biggest League competition for amateur players in North America. Having just concluded its third season with 16 host cities, City Champs draws players of all skill levels to local theaters and gaming arenas to play in LAN tournaments—just like pro players do.
Now, for the first time, the top four teams from City Champs will face off in one giant All-Star showcase, hosted in Red Bull’s esports studio in Santa Monica, CA. The four teams invited this year are the Dallas Dynamite, Miami Menace, Seattle Siege, and Tampa Bay Dungeoneers.
“Part of Super League’s mission is to enable aspiring amateur gamers to engage in competitions that mirror the professional experience,” said Ann Hand, CEO of Super League Gaming. “Partnering with Red Bull allows us to raise the bar and continue to advance our mission of becoming a true minor league for esports.”
City Champs has grown tremendously since its inception two years ago. In the first season, only four teams from Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Miami participated. Now, it’s truly a national phenomenon and a strong model for League esports going forward.
“Amateur competition is an important cornerstone of all sports. Super League’s All-Star tournament, along with Red Bull’s involvement, represents a new milestone,” said Chris Wyatt, Program Lead for Riot Games. “We look forward to watching the All-Stars come together and test their skills in this exciting event.”
Red Bull is a longtime supporter of esports, having sponsored teams like Cloud9, which competes in the NA LCS and players like popular Fortnite streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins. The company has sponsored tournaments in the past, and with this move could be leveling up its support of actual competition.
Fans can tune into the tournament on SLG’s website on June 23 starting at 10:45am CT.
