Korea and China vie for League of Legends World Championship

Global gaming company Riot Games, which runs the League of Legends World Championship, announced that the final match between the Korean league T1 and the Chinese league Weibo Gaming has been confirmed. The final match will be held at the Sky Dome in Seoul on Sunday.

T1, where professional gamer Faker (Lee Sang-hyuk), known as the Messi of e-Sports, is affiliated with, won over Jingdong Gaming, the most sought-after Chinese league player voted most likely to win the league this year, 3 to 1 in the semi-finals on Sunday. T1 advanced to the finals for the second time this year, aiming for its first seven-year win.

The industry has growing expectations with T1, one of the most popular teams in the world, advancing to the finals to compete with China, Korea’s top competitor. All 18,000 tickets for the final round have been sold out.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and Riot Games will host Korean cultural events, game exhibitions, and concerts at the Gwanghwamun Square starting Thursday. The Seoul Metropolitan Government expects around 12,500 visitors daily to visit the events over a four-day period. A cheering event for global gaming fans will be held at the Gwanghwamun Square on the day of the final match.

“It will be the first time for us to host a gaming-related event at the square,” said an official with the Seoul Metropolitan Government. “We will work to attract more international e-sports events.”


warum@donga.com