We're headed to China and Europe for the 2024 season!
The new League of Legends 2024 season is finally upon us and the devs behind Riot Games' most popular IP have provided us with plenty of new updates that are expected to come with the 14th season of LoL Esports. We finally know the locations of both the Mid-Season Invitational and the World Championship happening later this year, which also features its own format changes to ring in the new year.
Aside from the locations being finalised way ahead of schedule, the format for qualifying for Worlds 2024 has taken a drastically different turn as well. Riot have also announced that it will be introducing its very own ‘hall of fame’ after 14 long years in the industry as a way to celebrate the numerous pro players who have graced the Summoner's Rift along the way.
Global Competitive Changes
2023 saw format changes for both MSI and Worlds and it looks like we'll be getting more of the same this year as well. Since its inception in 2015, the winner of MSI have only ever walked away with a large chunk of the prize pool alongside the trophy. For the first time ever, this year's MSI winners will be granted a guaranteed slot to Worlds 2024 — this will also count as an additional slot for the winning team's region.
The region that performs second-best at MSI will also get an additional seed for Worlds 2024. Riot has also ensured that teams who qualified for Worlds early remains committed to gaining success in their own regional league, they must qualify for their region's Summer Split playoffs. Speaking of Worlds, there will also be different criteria when it comes to the number of teams qualified per region.
This season, there will be a base of three (3) Worlds slots for the four major regions: the LCK, LPL, LEC, and LCS. The PCS and VCS will maintain its two-slot invitation whilst the LLA and CBLOL will have just one per region. Of course, these regions can earn an additional spot, provided they perform exceptionally well at MSI.
MSI & Worlds 2024 Locations
It's always a treat to see where Riot has decided to set up base for its two biggest international tournaments and this season, we'll be heading to China for MSI and travelling around Europe for Worlds. Chengdu, China will play host to its first-ever LoL Esports global event from May 1-19 and it will be only the second-ever city in China to host the MSI tournament. The LPL have won the last three MSI events in a row and there will be chaos if they were to win a fourth in its home country.
It was announced during last season's world championship that the Worlds 2024 grand finals will be held at the O2 Arena in London, England. It was also mentioned that Worlds 2024 would return to Europe and we finally have more details on what to expect this season. Worlds 2024 will start in Berlin, Germany at the newly remodelled Riot Games Arena for both the Play-Ins and Swiss Stages.
Once that is done, they will move on to the Adidas Arena in Paris, France for both the quarter-final and semi-final matches. And lastly, we'll cross the English Channel to head to the O2 Arena in London for the grand finals of Worlds 2024. The world championship is expected to start from September 25 to November 2 with more details and updates to come throughout the rest of the season.
Hall of Legends
Many traditional sporting industries have its own iteration of the ‘hall of fame’, much like the EPL, the NBA, and the NFL to name a few. LoL Esports is also heading into that trajectory with its very own Hall of Legends, a way to commemorate and celebrate those who have made a lasting impact on the game, the sport, and the community while concurrently honouring their legacies.
There is also an independent voting panel of esports industry veterans and experts from every region who will vote and select its very first inductee. Each year, those inducted into the Hall of Legends will have their historic careers celebrated both IRL and in-game! Votes are currently being collected with more to share in the coming months once it's been tabulated.
Regional Start Dates
As the 14th season of LoL Esports is now underway, we can expect all the major regional leagues to start in the coming days and weeks. Check the list below for the start dates on your favourite regions:
- LEC: Jan 13
- LLA: Jan 16
- LCK: Jan 17
- PCS: Jan 19
- LCS: Jan 20
- VCS: Jan 20
- CBLOL: Jan 20
- LPL: Jan 22