Worlds 2024 Media Day just happened, and that means we’ve gotten fresh info about the changes to League of Legends events in the coming 2025 season. On top of introducing a new competitive format, Riot Games has mapped out all three major tournaments for next year. Let’s take a look at all we know so far about the League of Legends International Tournament Locations for 2025.
First Stand Tournament Debuts in Seoul
A brand new tournament, set to keep things exciting and the competition ever-burning, will kick-off the 2025 season. The First Stand Tournament will be held at the LoL Park in Seoul, South Korea. This six-day event will run after Split 1 from March 10-16, 2025, featuring only one team from each of the five major regions. This innovative format pits these teams against each other, competing in best-of-series until one winner is determined.
The twist? They’re introducing a “Fearless Draft” system where champions previously picked within a series cannot be selected again by either teams. Meanwhile, the usual 5 bans per team in the pick-ban phase will last only per game. By the end of a Game 5’s pick-ban phase, 40 champions would have been unavailable, added to the 10 bans, for a total of 50 champions that cannot be played. This change will shake up a lot of teams’ drafting strategies and encourage practicing with wider champion pools.
Canada Gets Its First Mid-Season Invitational
Moving into the middle of the season, the second major tournament for LoL esports heads to North America. The Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) will be held in Canada; the first time the country is included in League of Legends international tournament locations. While no particular city has yet been announced, this is already huge for Canadian Lol fans, who haven’t seen a major international event in the region for several years.
The expanded format of the 2025 MSI will feature ten teams competing for glory. The five regions will be represented by two teams each. This shift comes after the restructuring of the LoL esports ecosystem. This included the creation of two new regions, one of which is the LTA, which combines North America, Latin America, and Brazil.
Worlds Returns to China in Chengdu
The grandest and most prestigious LoL esports tournament makes its way back to China in 2025, set to happen in a city that is still freshly familiar to fans. The location for the MSI 2024, Chengdu, will be the venue for next year’s World Championship.
This revelation made during the Media Day follows the earlier announcement made in the very city. Riot Games extended its partnership with Oppo and unveiled China as the hosting country for Worlds 2025 in a phone launch event in Chengdu this late October. Taking in this continued partnership and the success of MSI 2024, this choice for one of League of Legends international tournament locations in 2025 comes as no surprise.
The LoL World Championship 2025 will feature a streamlined format with 17 teams, down from the previous 20. 3 representatives per region will make it in the event, with an additional slot given to each of the top two best-performing regions at the MSI. This chance to earn an additional seed for their region gives the mid-season tournament extra significance.
League of Legends International Tournament Locations 2025: Impact on the Global Scene
The several changes made by Riot in League of Legends’ esports ecosystem makes significant impacts on the global esports scene. The chosen locations for the next season’s major tournaments reflect a commitment to increasing the global presence of the game’s competitive scene. As these events will be across three different countries, it also ensures that fans worldwide get to experience live LoL esports action in their regions.
The restructured calendar and the addition of the First Stand Tournament also aligns their structure with that of other major esports. It features one major event after each split and offers players and fans more opportunities for cross-regional tournaments throughout the season.
Looking Ahead
As we wrap up Worlds 2024, these announcements are already getting fans hyped up for the coming season. From the brand-new First Stand Tournament to the prestigious World Championship, each event offers their own unique format and challenges that we are definitely excited to see play out.
The tournament schedule Riot Games has laid out for 2025 promises to deliver an exciting year of competitive League of Legends. Across the announced League of Legends international tournament locations, fans can look forward to seeing the world’s best teams compete for glory.
