Saudi Arabia Backed Esports World Cup Could Be Host To League of Legends Tournament
It was recently reported that the upcoming Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia could also include League of Legends.
League of Legends fans have long wanted more international esports events. While Riot tried to introduce more with Rift Rivals, these never caught on with fans or managed to get as big as MSI and Worlds. This might change soon.
Riot is considering working with the Saudi state-backed Esports World Cup in 2024. This would add another international event to their calendar.
LoL: Riot's Potential Partnership with External Esports Organizer
The last time Riot worked with another company for an esports event was in 2017 at the Intel Extreme Masters event in Poland. Since then, Riot has managed its own tournaments.
In 2023 the Saudi Arabian Gamers8 hosted a huge esports event with a $45 million prize pool. The event managed to bring together multiple games ranging from Coutner Strike to Rocket League. Well... it seems that this was enough for Riot to trust them.
In July, the Esports World Cup will happen and include League of Legends, says the Jacob Wolf Report.
Details are few, but it seems two teams from each region can join. Riot won't choose the teams. Leagues will pause during the Esports World Cup.
The Esports World Cup will be eight weeks long in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a huge prize pool. The League of Legends part starts in early July, aligning with Riot's usual July break, which means that during the week when teams are in Saudi Arabia, no domestic leagues will be happening.
This big event has some fans worried. Riot's past deals with Saudi Arabia, like the LEC's brief NEOM partnership in 2020, faced pretty harsh backlash. Will this new event face similar issues, or will Riot continue the partnership?
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