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League of Legends first title added for 2024 Esports World Cup
League of Legends has been announced as the first esports title to be added to the annual Esports World Cup lineup. The report was first released by renowned reporter Jacob Wolf. Financed by the Saudi Arabian government as part of the country’s bid to ‘diversify their economy’, the 2024 edition of the Esports World Cup will be the first of the event. Set to run in the Summer of 2024, reports indicate it will debut in July 2024.
Moreover, with the League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) 2024 announced to be taking place in May; and the annual World Championship (Worlds) taking place around September-October, this will place the Esports World Cup squarely as the premier tournament in-between the two in the 2024 calendar year. Early reports have indicated the Esports World Cup to be a 8-week-long event, to take place in Riyadh.
Esports is on the cusp of the birth of a new Mecca
The idea behind the Esports World Cup - as presented by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - is to utilize ‘sports, esports, and gaming’ as part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan to ‘diversify the kingdom’s economy’ and ‘reduce their reliance on oil.’ Furthermore, according to the released statement by the Crown Prince: ‘Clubs will compete across games from various genres to become the Ultimate Esports World Cup Champion.’
In summary, this is exciting for two reasons. Number 1: the benefit of having League of Legends as their first title already adds a lot to the entertainment and legitimacy factor. As one of the oldest competitive esports titles in 2024, League of Legends continues to break viewership records with their popular leagues and tournaments. Number 2: in 2022, Saudi Arabia’s Savvy Games Group, was reported as having stated a commitment to invest 142 billion riyals ($37.8 billion) in ‘initiatives aimed at making Saudi Arabia a global hub for gaming.’
Furthermore, a separate report made in October 2023 when this plan for the Esports World Cup was first made known, highlighted that under this Vision 2030 plan, the kingdom was aiming to set up 250 games companies locally, creating an estimated 39,000 jobs. The estimate on the increase to Saudi’s GDP sees a projection of 50 billion riyals by 2030.
“The Esports World Cup is the natural next step in Saudi Arabia’s journey to become the premier global hub for gaming and esports, offering an unmatched esports experience that pushes the boundaries of the industry.” - Statement from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The Largest Prize Pool in Esports History
Organizers of the event already claimed during the initial report in 2023 that the Esports World Cup will see the contribution of the ‘largest prize pool in esports history’ as the enticing bait for esports organizations and game titles. With League of Legends confirmed as the first participating game of the event, it seems likely that VALORANT may soon join. Another esports title by Riot Games, the pair have shared many of the same resources under Riot - including a substantial portion of the fanbase.
According to the reports, Riot Games is currently in the midst of working out the details for League of Legends’ participation. The current intention closely mirrors Riot’s own approach to their premier international tournaments - MSI and Worlds. In those events, a pre-agreed number of slots is given to each major region (LEC/LCK) to enter the competition. The current plan is to allow 2 teams from each domestic league to attend (this may be subject to change). However, unlike Riot’s own events, Riot will not be selecting the organizations participating.
Finally, as a final note in Wolf’s report, Chris Greeley, head of strategy for League of Legends esports, has been reported to have requested all leagues to suspend activities during the first week of July to accommodate the event.
Credit: League of Legends Esports // Riot Games
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