Image credit: Esports World Cup
League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics will be a part of the Esports World Cup later this year from July to August.
Both League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics, two popular titles from Riot Games are now part of the growing list of categories for the upcoming Esports World Cup. And just a few months prior, reports of Riot in talks with third-party tournament organisers that will allow them to host their own League of Legends tournaments. Fast-forward to today and that certainly seems the case.
The Esports World Cup is expected to take place later in the Summer from July to August with plenty of other titles to take place over the eight-week event. With LoL now officially part of the list, fans will be able to get a different look at their favourite teams and/or players from a different perspective that isn't driven by Riot.
- Read More: LoL Esports business model
A few weeks back, Riot talked about the current state of the LoL Esports business model and the changes it will implement it keep it growing and sustainable. One of the key points included in the announcement was the adjustment to its policies and competitive calendar to allow both teams and players to participate in third-party events. This has been something the players have been asking for some time now and it's finally a reality.
Seeing as this isn't a Riot-sanctioned event, they will not be involved in any point of the production as well as have zero say in the teams that can compete. Aside from League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics will also be added to the list of titles to be included in the Esports World Cup. Its own esports scene has seen some great that included the Remix Rumble Championship that had a total prize pool of $456,000 USD.
Riot has also released a statement regarding its decision to include both LoL and TFT into the Esports World Cup, given that Saudi Arabia has had a dogged history of human rights violations.
We know that seeing League and TFT included in an international esports event in Saudi Arabia could raise some questions. Our goal in this region, and all regions, is to make deliberate choices that result in a better experience for players around the world.
In other parts of the statement, Riot also spoke of the reasons as to why it chose to participate in the upcoming Esports World Cup with one of it being a good opportunity for both teams and players. Fans have been asking for more international tournaments to be included with the usual Mid-Season Invitational and Worlds. Last year's Asian Games was a good example of just how big third-party tournaments can get, especially if a region's top players were to compete.
The Esports World Cup
This eight-week tournament will feature a host of esports titles in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where the best of the best in their game of choice will go head-to-head to determine who is the greatest of them all. The Esports World Cup is expected to have one of the biggest prize pools in history, given that the same organisers also hosted Gamers8, which had a $45 million USD prize pool spread across multiple esports titles.
Other popular titles that have already been confirmed for the Esports World Cup include Dota 2, Free Fire, and Rainbow Six Siege to name a few. And It's not just PC-reliant titles that got given the nod as mobile games have also been included like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and PUBG Mobile.
And given that it will run from July to August, it would most likely not clash with any Riot-sanctioned tournaments in its competitive calendar. This will also be the second year in a row that many professional LoL players will have the chance to compete at three international events this year. The Mid-Season Invitational will start next month and Worlds will likely take place between September/October.
