Riot Reveals Locations for Worlds, MSI, and First Stand 2027

Although the year is not over yet, Riot Games is already looking ahead to the next League of Legends competitive season.

Ahead of the Worlds 2026 Finals, Riot has revealed the host locations for the three major international events taking place in 2027, including First Stand: All In, the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI), and Worlds.

First Stand 2027 Gets a Major Expansion 

The competitive calendar will once again kick off with First Stand, but the 2027 edition will bring some major changes.

The tournament is set for a significant expansion, bringing together more teams, players, and fans.

Rebranded as First Stand: All In 2027, it will be the largest edition of the event yet, offering more teams from around the world the opportunity to compete on the international stage.

However, plans have changed from what was previously announced, as the event will not take place in Southeast Asia. Instead, China will host First Stand 2027, with Southeast Asia set to welcome the tournament in 2028. 

Riot Games will share more details about the tournament's new format, qualification process, and other key changes in January.

The expanded event will also affect Split 1 across the regional leagues, with further information about the formats and schedules expected to follow soon.

First Stand: All In 2027 will take place in China (Credit: Riot Games)

MSI 2027 Heads to Spain

Spain is gearing up for a busy summer in 2027, with the country set to host two major Riot Games esports events.

Alongside VALORANT Masters Valencia, the 2027 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) will also take place at the Feria de Valencia, in Spain.

For the first time, the tournament will head to Valencia, a city known for its rich sporting culture and passionate fanbase. As always, MSI will bring together the best teams from every region to compete for the second international title of the 2027 season.

More information on the dates and tickets will be shared in the coming months. 

MSI 2027 heads to Feria de Valencia, Spain (Credit: Riot Games)

Worlds 2027 Brings the Competition to Two Countries

The League of Legends World Championship is heading to two countries in 2027, Japan and South Korea.

For the first time, Japan is hosting part of the biggest event of the season. Nagoya will host the event, bringing League of Legends closer to Japan's growing player and fan community.

While Japan will host the Swiss Stage, South Korea will welcome the entire Knockout Stage of Worlds 2027, where the world's best teams will battle for the Summoner's Cup. 

Nagoya will host the Worlds 2027 Swiss Stage (Credit: Riot Games)

As one of the most important countries in League of Legends history, South Korea will also host the Grand Finals at the brand-new Seoul Arena. 

Located in Chang-dong, Dobong-gu, the venue is still under construction and is set to become the country's first dedicated music and K-pop arena. With a maximum capacity of 28,000 spectators, it is expected to officially open in June 2027.

The new Seoul Arena will officially open in June 2027 (Credit: Riot Games)

New Format for Worlds 2027: Repurposing Demacia Cup?

Riot Games is also exploring the possibility of expanding the Worlds 2027 format to include more teams.

Following the success of the Demacia Cup 2026, the publisher is evaluating whether the tournament could replace the traditional Worlds Play-In Stage, potentially adding more best-of series and giving teams additional opportunities to fight for a place at Worlds. 

However, no decisions have been finalized yet, and Riot will share more details as these plans develop.

Southeast Asia to Host First Stand in 2028

Despite the change of plans, Southeast Asia has not been left out, as the region will host First Stand in 2028.

The tournament will return to its traditional format, with Riot looking forward to bringing an international League of Legends event to the region for the first time and celebrating the game alongside its passionate community. 

More details about the host city, venue, and event dates will be shared at a later date.

First Stand 2028 heads to Southeast Asia (Credit: Bruno Alvares/Riot Games)

Regional leagues are also expected to reveal more information about their competitive formats and schedules soon, giving fans a clearer picture of what lies ahead in the new season. 

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Featured Image Credit: Yicun Liu/Riot Games

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