Hometown advantage: Worlds 2023 will be hosted by the two-time defending champions

To kick off the new year, Riot Games has finally unveiled the location of the 2023 League of Legends World Championship, and anyone rooting for a Korean three-peat will be happy to know that the tournament is coming back to South Korea.

The last time that Worlds was hosted in Korea was back in 2018 when Invictus Gaming swept Fnatic to capture the Summoner’s Cup. They even had the event span across multiple venues across the country, with the play-in stage held in Seoul, the group stage and quarterfinals in Busan, the semifinals in Gwangju, and the finals in Incheon.

Five years later, the teams all look completely different and the meta has completely shifted, but the story remains the same: Korea is coming into 2023 on top of the competitive League world.

Now, Korea has only hosted three international tournaments in the history of the League, but the LCK has always proven to be one of the strongest regions in the world. Their latest conquerors come from the unlikely Cinderella story of DRX, who had to battle all the way from the tournament’s play-ins, through the group stage, and across one of the most entertaining knockout stages in League history.

Most LoL Esports fans expect Korean teams to break into the knockout stage with their incredible mechanical skills and highly-advanced macro play, but now, they’ll have the hometown crowd on their side as they battle for the crown again.