As the end of the first half of the season approaches, we also approach their international competitive stop, where the best teams from each regional league will face off to try and become Mid-Season Invitational champions. While this tournament introduced in 2015 is one of the most coveted by League of Legends squads worldwide, the vision of many others is already further ahead in the year when the Summoner's Cup returns to South Korea for the next World Championship.
With this in mind, Riot Games has not wanted to wait any longer and surprisingly revealed what players and its immense community have been waiting for for a long time: the official venues and dates for the 2023 edition of its World Championship. As announced at the beginning of January, the birthplace of esports will be in charge of hosting the League of Legends Worlds, with this being the third time that the South Korean nation will receive the largest organizations in the competitive ecosystem.
According to Riot's official statement, the upcoming journey through the Summoner's Cup will begin with the well-known Play-In stage, which will take place from October 10th to 15th at the LCK arena in Seoul. This venue, located within the innovative LoL PARK in Seoul, will once again feature the presence of the best teams from minor regions for the first time since 2018.
"Korea is synonymous with excellence in esports and video games, with a passionate fan community and a tradition of forming some of the world's most talented teams," commented Naz Aletaha, Global Head of LoL Esports. Thus, the champions of the LJL, CBLOL, and LLA, the finalists of the PCS and VCS, and the winner of the Worlds Qualifying Series will come together to compete in the first phase of the tournament. "We are excited to host the pinnacle of LoL Esports once again after five years," said Aiden Lee, Secretary-General of the LCK.
Following this, the action will continue in the South Korean capital by moving to the KBS Arena, a concert hall with a capacity of 1,824 people where the Swiss format will debut within Worlds. From October 19th to 29th, the top 4 teams from LCK and LCS, as well as the top 3 teams from LEC and LCS, and the Play-In qualifiers will fight for the passes to the final stage through a series of matches in which the slightest error will be critical.
The eight teams that survive these days of tough competition will travel to Busan to continue their adventure at the Sajik Indoor Gymnasium, the venue for the quarterfinals to be played from November 2nd to 5th, and the semifinals on November 11th and 12th.
To close out the tournament, the finalists will go to Seoul one last time for the battle for the Summoner's Cup, which will be witnessed by over 16,000 spectators at the iconic Gocheok Sky Dome. This imposing stadium is known for being one of the largest covered venues in the country, as well as being the home of the Kiwoom Heroes of the Korean baseball league.
"We are thrilled to bring Worlds back to the birthplace of esports and the home of the LCK, and this year-end we look forward to celebrating the best of the best in LoL along with fans from Korea and around the world," added Aletaha.
As an additional note, the World Championship has been scheduled a few days later than usual in order not to overlap with the 2022 Asian Games, to be held from September 23rd to October 8th in Hangzhou, China. This is because League of Legends, along with six other esports, will be included for the first time as official medal events, so this change will allow professional players to compete at this event.
Tickets for the different stages of Worlds 2023 will be available in three phases, starting with those for the Play-In from July 10th. Those for the Swiss format stage will go on sale from July 19th, and those for the knockout rounds can be purchased starting August 2nd.
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