According to recent interviews of Riot Games higher-ups, a possible hint at a future League of Legends cup was revealed.
Based on the interviews, it is not a question of if or when, but a question of when it will be launched.
The Riot Games higher-up mentioned that they want to have enough time to think about all the details. The current main issue is that most pro players have a hectic schedule, even considering the low amount of international tournaments happening in League of Legends. The time for vacation is minimal, and Riot Games does not want to altogether remove vacation time for pro players.
Even in a game as competitive as League of Legends, everyone needs a break sometimes to refresh their mind and energy.
Before the final game of the current League of Legends championship, Riot’s Global Head of Esports, John Needam, also talked about whether a World Cup would be created for League of Legends. He mentioned that Riot Games consider this possibility due to the fans of nation-based teams, which involve national pride and national support.
‘Hopefully, we will have something to announce soon,’ John Needam said.
League fans have been asking for a World Cup for years already. In 2011, a third-party organized an esport event called the Sound Blaster Nations Championship, which featured seven national teams. It was a small event and wasn’t replicated by Riot Games.
A nation-based World Cup is a successful format in esports. As an example, there are Overwatch World Cup, Starcraft II Nation Wars, PUBG Nations Cup, which are successful, and a lot of viewers tune in to watch, both gamers and non-gamers. Nation-based tournaments also represent an excellent opportunity to introduce esports to a broader audience, whose players are not currently participating in any minor or major league.
It would be surprising to see a World Cup organized by Riot Games by 2020, considering there needs to be major organizational activities and a lot of advertisements to prepare for it. But without any further hints, all we can do is wait and see what Riot Games has in store for us.
The next year is already pretty packed up, especially considering the tenth anniversary of the World Championship. The most likely thing to happen is a special event for the 10th World Championship anniversary, with an announcement about the World Cup to come in the future years, it would be a fantastic way to end the anniversary, on a high note.
Stay tuned for more information regarding the World Cup for League of Legends.
