Two of Riot Games’ key esports titles are joining the 2024 Esports World Cup after months of speculation if the developer will take part in such an event.

The Esports World Cup Foundation has announced it will include League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics in its already-stacked roster of games.

The League and TFT developer confirmed the news via a blog post. “Teams from League of Legends (LoL) Esports and players from Teamfight Tactics (TFT) Esports will be allowed to participate in the Esports World Cup (EWC) in Riyadh this summer,” Riot Games said.

However, they clarified that the Esports World Cup will not be considered an official LoL Esports event. 

“The EWC is not an official LoL Esports event, Riot will not be involved in the production, and Riot will not select the teams that compete,” the developers said.

They also responded to potential backlash that Riot’s participation in the event would embroil into, saying, “we know that seeing League and TFT included in an international esports event in Saudi Arabia could raise some questions.”

They simply responded by saying that their goal in the MENA region – and across the world – “is to make deliberate choices that result in a better experience for players around the world.”

WHY DID RIOT DECIDE TO ALLOW ITS GAMES IN THE ESPORTS WORLD CUP DESPITE INCREASING ISSUES?

 

The Esports World Cup is part of Saudi Arabia’s National Gaming and Esports Strategy and has been the replacement for the Gamers8 Cup, which is its spiritual predecessor.

“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. The competition will enhance our progress towards realizing the Vision 2030 objectives of diversifying the economy, growing the tourism sector, creating new jobs in various industries, and providing world-class entertainment for citizens, residents, and visitors alike,” said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a statement.

However, critics of this vision are saying that this move is designed to draw attention away from various human rights abuses that are happening in the oil-rich Kingdom. 

Just recently, Amnesty International also pushed back on the news that Saudi Arabia will chair the United Nation’s Commission on the Status of Women, knowing that their new penal codes will have “further catastrophic consequences for women in the country”, following a draft law that allows immunity from prosecution for those committing what the nation calls “honour crimes”, as well as several flaws in its criminal justice system – such as criminalizing marital rape, consensual sexual relations between adult men, and sex outside of marriage.

“The Commission on the Status of Women has a clear mandate to promote women’s rights and gender equality and it is vital for the chair of the commission to uphold this. Saudi Arabia’s abysmal record when it comes to protecting and promoting the rights of women puts a spotlight on the vast gulf between the lived reality for women and girls in Saudi Arabia, and the aspirations of the Commission,” said Amnesty International.

Despite this, there were two key reasons as to why Riot Games included some titles in the Esports World Cup lineup: experiences for fans in MENA and providing more competitive playing opportunities.

Citing players in MENA and Riot Games employees who live and work in the region, they say that one of the reasons why they decided to take part was because they saw the impact of major tournaments that feature global teams in the MENA region.

“We believe that supporting these types of experiences is an important part of delivering on our mission to make it better to be a player,” Riot said in its blog.

Acknowledging the difficulties that esports players and teams are having at the moment, Riot said that these third-party events may have an increasing role in adding more competitive opportunities for its players.

“With this in mind, we didn’t want to deny esports teams and players the option to participate in a major economic and brand-building opportunity. The EWC offers not only the chance to compete on an international stage but also the ability to earn a piece of a meaningful prize pool, which helps enhance financial stability,” the organization said.

They also cited that this first-year Esports World Cup exploration will be used to evaluate the overall tournament experience and understand the impact of this tournament to players worldwide.

Riot Games has also announced that they will push through with the planned localization of League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics in the region. 

“Along with the Arabic localization, we’re also getting ready to launch local servers based in the Middle East. No one likes whiffing a skillshot or missing their pick on the carousel, so we’re excited for players in the Middle East to play League and TFT with significantly reduced ping starting soon,” Riot has announced.

Qualifier information, as well as competition formats for both League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics are yet to be announced.

Previously, key esports titles such as Street Fighter 6, Rocket League, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Starcraft II, Counter-Strike 2,Honor of Kings, PUBG Battlegrounds, PUBG Mobile, Overwatch 2, Dota 2, and other titles have been announced for the Esports World Cup. – PAOLO BARCELON, FRAGSTER.COM