arena game out of many out there. Just in 2021, the League of Legends World Championship is the highest viewed esports tournament in the world.
LoL’s esports tournaments are usually very time-consuming and require fans’ patience to enjoy what they have to offer. Nevertheless, fans can expect a great experience from the world’s best players battling it out in the world of League.
There’s no doubt about it that the League of Legends esports scene is one of the most anticipated events in the year, and here are the tournaments that keep fans seated in their chairs watching live games:
League of Legends World Championship
The League of Legends World Championship, more commonly known as Worlds, is considered the climax of the whole LoL esports season. It is where the top teams can battle against each other to find out which one is deserving of the title of being named the best team in the league.
Worlds 2022 will take place in North America with venues in Canada and Mexico. This information is leaked online by Dot Esports where each Toronto, San Francisco, and Mexico City are the targeted areas where the tournament will be held.
In 2021, the tournament took place in Reykjavik, Iceland. This eventually changed after a last-minute call to move the venue to China due to Covid-19 restrictions.
While it’s still too early to speculate as to what will happen during the Worlds, it sure will bring LoL fans together and cheer for their favourite teams. What’s dubious about the Worlds this year is whether or not the games will allow a live audience or go for the safer route and have them streamed live through platforms like Twitch.
Format of the games
Most likely, the Worlds will see a total of 24 teams playing against each other. The 12 teams will go through the Group Stage while the final 4 will have to qualify for a play-in tournament.
This is similar to a wild-card round most sports usually conduct to middle-tier teams to give them a chance to compete at a high level.
Prize pool
In 2021, the total prize in dollars was $2,225,000. The first-place team will earn 22% of the total prize pool while the runner-up will receive 15%. This means that each winner will get $489,500 and $333,750 respectively.
Mid-Season Invitational (MSI)
In League, international tournaments are quite prevalent due to the global recognition it is having. Also, it’s just as important to cover international games as the domestic ones. On the other hand, a Mid-Season tournament is conducted and is regarded as the second most important event in League of Legends.
MSI is an incredible opportunity for international teams to show why they are at the same level as other regions in the world, especially the domestic teams. It also provides great preparation for the eventual World Championship.
A total of 12 teams will compete in a double Round-Robin Group Stage, followed by a Rumble and Single-Knockout Stage. The total prize pool will be at least USD 250,000, with the winner receiving 30% and the second-placed team receiving 20% of the total prize pool.
League of Legends Pro League and Champions Korea
For a long time, the League of Legends esports scene has been dominated by China and Korea. Since Season 3, the LoL World Championship winners have always been either a Korean or a Chinese team. As a result, it’s no surprise that these two regions have the most intense competition.
Three of the four Korean teams qualified for the semifinals at the most recent Worlds 2021 Championship, with Edward Gaming, the tournament’s winner, filling the remaining position. For the past few years, this has been a consistent pattern, and it is projected to continue in the foreseeable future.
In terms of format, the League of Legends Pro League (LPL) and the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) are similar. Even though the Chinese League has more teams (17, compared to Korea’s ten), both will be played in a double round-robin format, with the best of three matches.
The key difference in the playoffs is that the LPL has a single-elimination bracket for King of the Hill and then a winners and losers bracket, but the LCK just has a single-elimination bracket.
It’s not certain when the two Spring Splits will begin, but it’s expected to happen in January. We can assume that the LPL and LCK will begin in early to mid-January, with the LPL starting first because of the large number of teams involved.
League of Legends European Championship and Championship Series
Over the years, some of the best organizations (Fnatic, G2, and Cloud9) have been attempting to catch up to the Eastern teams, and some of the best teams (Fnatic, G2, and Cloud9) have been able to do so.
Nonetheless, compared to the LPL and LCK, the overall level of competitiveness has been lower, and the recent Worlds 2021 proved that there is still a lot of work to be done.
Since the beginning of the franchising era, the LEC has used the same structure, with 10 teams participating in a double round-robin style with Best of One matchups. The LEC Spring Split will begin on January 14th, so keep an eye out for the action!
The top six teams will then participate in Playoffs to determine the ultimate rankings at the end of the split.
The LCS will include a Lock-in event to kick off the North American League, as well as a similar format for the Spring and Summer Splits.
Not only that, but the teams’ success in the spring will be carried over into the summer, thus the ultimate standings will be based on their combined records.
The top eight teams in the LCS Championship will fight in the Upper and Lower Brackets to decide the champions. The LCS Lock-in will likewise begin on January 14 and finish on January 30. As a result, the LCS Spring Season is expected to begin in the first week of February.
League of Legends fans have a lot to look forward to in 2022, and it’s going to be a fun ride from start to finish. These tournaments will later unfold, and there’s no question that the final game of the season will put any fan to tears as their favourite team wins the whole thing.