League of Legends Worlds 2025: World Event Venues Confirmed

Worlds returns to Asia. It will be the third time in history that China will host the invention of Riot Games in a re-entry that promises to be one of the most legendary in its history, since the first final was held in 2011 in Jönköping, Sweden. A first edition that not for everyone counts. At that time the concept was not fully developed and not all regions participated, something that causes many fans not even consider legitimate its celebration.

Since then the venues have been rotating, except for the year 2021 which was shifted from Korea to Europe as a result of the pandemic. This year we have the event back on Eastern soil, where the most memorable and most crowded editions have been held. The importance of any event even slightly related to the digital world acquires exceptional dimensions in China, which has one of the most overwhelming fandom on video games, coming to represent real pressure groups, capable of influencing the development of the competition at the same level as the organizers themselves.

The revelation that China will host World Cup 2025 came alongside the announcement of the extension of OPPO’s partnership with Riot Games. Since 2019, this sponsor has been key to League of Legends eSports, in particular supporting the Mid-Season Invitational and acting as the title sponsor of the MVP award at Worlds and MSI. This five-year long marriage has seen some of the most important moments in LoL eSports, and it looks like OPPO will continue to be a major player in its lore.

China has become one of the most important eSports markets in the world, with a huge player base and a very thriving gaming industry. It accounts for a very high percentage in the GDP of the country’s industrial economy. Gone are the years when the technological revolution was timidly peeking out from the East. The gold mine is no longer under the ground, but an interface, and the miners are not diggers, they are programmers. Today it is completely assumed and settled: the digital future depends on what the Chinese do, and they move first.

Hosting the World Cup in China not only resonates with local fans, but also provides an opportunity to showcase the country’s global production facilities and capabilities. Something like what happened in Beijing 2008, when China stunned the world with the display served at the Olympics.

Events like these play a key role in promoting the growth and recognition of eSports as a mainstream industry and as a means of generating quite remarkable wealth. Riot Games has for its part demonstrated commitment to the Chinese market, recognizing it as a crucial space for the continued success of League of Legends eSports.

The return of the World Championship to China for the third time also confirms that the country’s eSports infrastructure and enthusiastic fan base make it an ideal host. The Asian country will also host DreamHack Shanghai 2025, China’s first-ever DreamHack festival, and Hero Esports’ Asian Champions League 2025 in May.

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Format, structure and key changes

This new League of Legends will have a different development than the previous ones, which will basically affect the way in which teams from each region will access the World Cup. The Americas and APAC leagues have been unified into two large pan-regional leagues. Each will send three teams to the Worlds. The MSI champion will automatically qualify, but must first reach the elimination stages (the playoffs) of its national league in order to claim the spot. The region that finishes runner-up in the MSI could have an extra position, as a means of compensating for its strong international performance.

Although the start date has not yet been revealed, we already have details on the dates of some rounds. The play-in phase is scheduled to begin in September, where two teams will compete in a best-of-five match. The winner would advance to stage two. This would be followed by the so-called Swiss Stage: 16 teams participate (the 15 direct qualifiers plus 1 Play-In winner) in five rounds, with no rematches and a draw at the end of each round. Teams with three wins advance, while teams with three losses are eliminated. Matches will be best-of-one, except for the qualifying and elimination matches, which will be best-of-three.

This will be followed by the knockout phase in mid-October, where the lowest scoring teams will be dropped. The final is scheduled for late October-early November.

Regarding the events by region, the dates are as follows:

• LPL (China): January 12
• LCK (Korea): January 15
• LCP (Asia-Pacific): January 17
• LEC (EMEA): January 18
• LTA (Americas): January 25

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First Stand, first international LOL tournament

A few years ago, when the League of Legends competition was just starting, some tournaments were held around the globe, pitting the best teams in the world against each other. Riot Games organized together with ESL the mythical IEM, tournaments that are still played today in other titles such as Counter-Strike and that served to see legendary clashes between Europe, Asia or North America.

Over the years, this collaboration was diluted, although since 2015 the Mid Season-Invitational (MSI), the second international tournament, has survived. Since the desire to see clashes between regions is growing, Riot Games has decided to add a third international event, called First Stand. It is the main appetizer to the Worlds and will be played at the end of the first 2025 split, from March 10 to 16 at the legendary LOL Park in Seoul. It will only be contested by five teams, the champions of each major league, but it will be the perfect welcome to the season for all the fans around the world and will open the way to the historical fights and rematches between the most pro players of each region.

There is a widespread acceptance that in this field the Koreans are the most dangerous rivals to beat. One of the historical duels is the one between the two telephone companies, SK Telecom and KT Rolsters, with clashes that have left spectacular plays such as Faker vs Ryu.

In Korea there is also an exacerbated fever for LOL competitions. It could even be considered a national sport, and its participants are feted like pop stars. One of the most curious facts regarding the importance of the event in the country occurred in the final of the 2023 Asian Games. The South Korean team won the gold medal at the Asian Games after defeating Taipei in the final. After eliminating China in the semifinals also with a clear 2-0 score, the Korean team was a strong favorite in the final against Taipei, and not only won the gold medal, but also avoided compulsory military service in the country.

Korean law grants athletes who have made achievements for the country a special exemption. With this, they avoided facing a minimum of 18 months away from competition, which for many players would be the end of their careers.