Even fifteen years after its original release, League of Legends has cultivated a rabid, global fanbase with millions watching tournaments online every year. Four members of our rEv/XP team share their thoughts on the games longevity and the World Championships match on November 1st.
The Summoners Cup is awarded to the World Championship team. Shown here at WORLDS 2023. (Photo by Colin Young-Wolff / Riot Games)
The League of Legends World Championships, or Worlds as it’s referred to by insiders, is the premier global esports event. Featuring the two top teams in gaming’s premier title, League of Legends, Worlds is a can’t-miss moment on the esports calendar, with a record 6.4 million concurrent viewers for the 2023 event. This year’s Championship game will feature China’s Bilibili Gaming facing off against Korea’s T1 and their star Faker (more on Faker later). The event will take place on Saturday, November 1st, at the sold-out O2 Arena in London—a historic venue for another historic matchup.
As we embark on Worlds 2024, it’s important to recognize that League of Legends is a 15-year-old game. In a time when publishers are dropping top titles annually, Riot has done an incredible job keeping their flagship game fresh and innovative while growing its competitive esports scene globally. Through the game, Riot has positioned League of Legends as a cultural driver, with a hit Netflix show in Arcane, musical collaborations with artists like Lil Nas X and Linkin Park, and luxury partnerships with brands like Louis Vuitton and Mercedes.
In North America, brand partnerships are abundant for Riot’s League Championship Series (LCS). With 67% of the audience being male and 43% in the 25–34 demographic, League of Legends is enticing for brands such as AT&T, MasterCard, Red Bull, and others looking to connect with a younger, digitally savvy audience. The League of Legends community also has diverse interests, with music and fashion being among their top passion points.
WORLDS opening ceremony rivals the Super Bowl half time and has featured the likes of Lil Nas X performing during the 2022 event. (Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)
Brands looking to unlock the potential of the gaming community should have League of Legends on their radar. Tapping into marquee events such as Worlds through value-adding partnerships that connect the brand to the community can deliver unprecedented results. For first-mover brands, hospitality and experiential activation around Worlds are currently white-space opportunities.
Chris Mann, SVP of rEv/XP
Chris has 20 years of experience working with brands in sports and gaming. Specifically with League of Legends, Chris has forged major partnerships with brands such as T-Mobile, Verizon, and Susquehanna International to help unlock the potential around events such as Worlds.
Riot prides itself on being the “most player-focused” publisher in the world, a key driver behind the breakout success of League of Legends and LoL Esports. In service to this mission, their brand partnerships focus on adding value to the player experience and supporting initiatives, like esports, that drive fandom for their games. Top partnership opportunities include in-game content giveaways, unique esports broadcast segments, ownership of inclusivity and charity initiatives, and crafting exclusive experiences for fans at marquee global esports events.
Crowd watches a match during WORLDS 2024 Knockout stage (Photo by Christian Betancourt / Riot Games.
Tony Yuan – Director of Gaming, rEv/XP
Tony, a former professional League of Legends player, brings valuable insights from working on the brand, esports, and publisher sides of the gaming industry. With experience at Riot Games and OpTic Gaming, Tony’s knowledge of the League ecosystem is second to none, helping brands connect authentically with the gaming community.
Worlds. Faker. LCP.
According to a 2023 report from YouGov, 80% of esports fans and followers are in APAC. Let’s read that again: EIGHTY PERCENT of esports fans reside in the Asia-Pacific region. There is a strong connection between League of Legends and APAC that helps explain this phenomenon. Esports was arguably established and professionalized in the region with the creation of KeSPA in 2000, the world’s first esports governing body, making Korea the first country to recognize and invest heavily in the category. It’s no accident that the GOAT of esports, Faker (often labeled the Michael Jordan of esports), hails from Korea.
Faker’s legendary run continues while he’s already a legend and 1st inductee in the League of Legends Hall of Game.
As November approaches, all eyes are on WORLDS—the pinnacle of esports, breaking viewership records year after year. The 2023 event in Seoul set a new world record with over 6.4 million peak viewers as Faker and his team, T1, lifted the Summoner’s Cup for a record-breaking fourth time. The event’s regional influence was underscored by record viewership numbers in Korea (2 million) and Vietnam (805K), with English broadcasts reaching 1.69 million viewers.
Asia’s dominance in League of Legends is clear—nine of the last ten WORLDS champions have hailed from Asian organizations, and League remains the top-ranked game in the APAC region. Recognizing this, Riot announced the formation of the League of Legends Pacific Championship (LCP) in June, uniting local leagues (VCS, PCS, and LJL) to boost regional engagement, player development, and professionalize the competition scene with a clear path to global tournaments.
League of Legends offers a well-established entry for brands entering the world of gaming and esports, backed by one of the most dedicated fanbases. In APAC, esports has deep cultural roots, especially in China and Korea, with gaming merging with sectors like fashion, music, sports, wellness, and even beauty.
The opportunities in APAC esports are vast—from owning new regional IP to celebrating local heroes and creating activations that honor fans’ passions, making your brand integral to the experience. Success here lies in powerful storytelling, authenticity, addressing community pain points, and enhancing both fan and player experiences.
Fernando Loureiro, VP, Integrated Client Services – APAC
Fernando brings 16 years of experience in sports and gaming across LATAM, North America, and Asia Pacific. In League of Legends, he was instrumental in designing Razer’s partnership with Faker, positioning him as the global ambassador for Razer and an icon of the celebrated DeathAdder series.
Crowd watches a tense quarterfinals match during WORLDS 24 (Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)
When it comes to global sport and entertainment, there are few places that rival London as a host city. Venues like the O2 are special; memories are made, dreams are fulfilled, it is where fans unite to share in pure emotion and passion.
For the 2024 League of Legends World Championship Finals to take place at the O2 is a big deal. It’s one of the hottest tickets around. Fans, gamers and teams will descend on North Greenwich to celebrate the pinnacle of a hotly contested tournament, one that has already had plenty of surprise and drama.
Worlds will once again reinforce the role that gaming has in society – and should have in a brand’s marketing portfolio. Conversations we have with brands nowadays have moved far beyond whether they should be involved in gaming. That dialogue has shifted. It’s no longer why or whether, it’s how, where and when.
Riot has already teased some of its promotional activity designed to build the hype around what will be a capital event for London. Tournament partners will also lean into activation designed at engaging legitimately and credibly with a knowledgeable audience that represents a broader demographic of fan than many appreciate.
When the Copper Box Arena hosted the Mid-Season Invitationals in 2023, I was blown away by the atmosphere – it rivalled any sporting event I’ve been at – and Worlds at the O2, is going to take that to a whole new level.
Chris Hughes – Vice President, Integrated Client Services, Europe
Chris oversees integrated client services for Europe, with expertise in traditional and digital sports activations. After witnessing the energy at the Copper Box Arena during last year’s Mid-Season Invitational, Chris is excited to see the Worlds event at the O2 set a new standard in fan experience and engagement.
Sources:
- https://escharts.com/tournaments/lol/2023-world-championship
- YouGov, October 2024
