After years and years of waiting—seven, to be exact—the League of Legends World Championship finally returns to Chinese soil in front of a live audience. While the 2020 edition technically took place in China, the Covid-19 pandemic forced the event to be played behind closed doors, leaving fans to watch from their screens as DAMWON Gaming crushed Suning 3-1 in the finals, with Kim "Canyon" Geon-bu earning the Finals MVP.

This year, Worlds returns to China from October 14, starting with the Play-In stage featuring an explosive BO5 between T1 and Invictus Gaming, running through November 9, the date of the grand final that will crown the new world champion and successor to T1, who won the last two editions.

The first Play-In stage will take place at the Beijing Smart Esports Center in front of 2,000 spectators, the Swiss Stage at Shanghai’s Mercedes-Benz Arena, and finally moving to Dong’an Lake Sports Park in Chengdu, with both venues accommodating up to 18,000 people.

2017 iconic Worlds

The last time Worlds were held in front of a live Chinese audience, the event is still vividly remembered. The Play-In and group stages took place in Wuhan, the quarterfinals in Guangzhou, and the semifinals at Shanghai’s Oriental Sports Center—truly magnificent Worlds. But the most iconic moment came during the grand final at Beijing’s Bird’s Nest, where SKT T1, led by Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, faced Samsung Galaxy, led by Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk.

This followed one of the most iconic esports ceremonies in history, with Chrissy Costanza and her band "Against the Current" delivering a masterful performance. As they sang “Legends Never Die,” the Elder Drake appeared, setting the stage for the Rift. In the BO, Samsung Galaxy completely stomped SKT T1, a clean sweep that brought one of the most beautiful LoL Worlds to a close.