Riot Games has announced that the 2025 League of Legends World Championship will take place in China, marking a return after five years. The partnership with OPPO continues, but details on specific host cities remain undisclosed. Previously, the 2020 Worlds were held in a restricted format due to COVID-19, unlike the anticipated grand experience in 2025. Uncertainty surrounds the location for next year’s MSI, with speculation suggesting potential venues in the USA or Brazil, aiming to diversify international tournament locations.
Worlds 2025 Set to Return to China!
On October 24, Riot Games made an exciting announcement in a press release regarding the extension of its partnership with OPPO, a leading smartphone manufacturer in China. The League of Legends Championships, known as Worlds 2025, will take place in China!
Since 2019, OPPO has been a key partner of Riot Games, providing sponsorship for the MVPs during MSI and Worlds events. After each match, an OPPO player is recognized, a tradition reminiscent of awards in traditional American sports. Although the renewal of this partnership covers several years, specific details on its duration have not been disclosed. This news is promising, especially given the current downturn in esports investment, which has seen a decline in both the number of sponsors and their financial contributions.
While the press release confirmed that Worlds will be hosted in China, details about the specific cities for various events like the Play-In, Swiss Stage, and Playoffs have yet to be revealed. Generally, more information emerges during the Worlds Finals, which will happen next Saturday at 3 PM, with announcements typically made during the preshow.
The last occurrence of Worlds in China was in 2020 amidst the Covid pandemic. Due to health restrictions, the event struggled to meet its full potential. However, this time around, it’s anticipated that China will strive to deliver an impressive experience akin to the Worlds 2017 finale, renowned for its spectacular presentation (remember the Elder Dragon!).
This event also presents a golden opportunity for the LPL to clinch the Worlds title on home turf for the first time!
What’s Next for MSI?
No information has been released yet regarding next year’s MSI location. There’s a possibility that we might receive an update during the Worlds final preshow this weekend; otherwise, fans will need to be patient. Which destination will be selected for the second major international tournament of the competitive year? It’s important to note that 2025 will feature three international tournaments occurring between three regional splits.
Here’s a summary of countries that have hosted the MSI since 2019:
- 2019: Vietnam and Taiwan.
- 2020: Cancelled due to Covid (the Mid-Season Cup between China and Korea took place but was offline).
- 2021: Iceland (similarly impacted by Covid).
- 2022: South Korea.
- 2023: Europe (London).
- 2024: China (Chengdu).
Considering previous MSI locations and with the confirmation that Worlds 2025 will occur in China, the likely location for MSI 2025 could be the USA. Following the European venue for this year’s Worlds and MSI 2023, Europe may have to wait until at least 2026 for another international tournament.
However, there’s a chance that a smaller region could host an event next year. With the convergence of American leagues, Riot might consider allowing Brazil to host the next MSI as a gesture of goodwill (the last Brazilian-hosted event in 2017 featured an electrifying atmosphere, with Ronaldo presenting the champions’ medals to SKT).
Get ready for the second and final semi-final of the LoL Worlds 2024! It’s a pivotal moment between T1 and Gen.G, two fierce competitors that have clashed throughout the year in LCK. Remarkably, T1 has managed to overcome a streak of 10 consecutive losses, making their way to the final showdown against BLG in London!