Originally introduced as the NiceGameTV League of Legends Battle (NLB) in 2012, the competition was rebranded as Challenger Korea in 2015 before adopting its current name, the LCK Challengers League (LCK CL), in 2021. Serving as the second-tier league in South Korea, the LCK CL features rosters from all ten LCK organizations.

The NLB era

In its early days, the NLB was primarily an online tournament. However, some finals were hosted offline, such as the NLB Spring 2013 Final, which took place at the Intel e-Stadium and was won by the NaJin Swords. Later that year, the Summer final was held at the Seoul Olympic Park K-Art Hall, where NaJin Sword once again claimed victory. The last edition of the NLB was the 2014 Summer Split, won by a T1 roster—after being eliminated shortly in the OGN Champions (current LCK)—that had just secured the Season 3 World Championship title.

Challengers Korea and first venues

In 2016, Challengers Korea transitioned to an offline format, with matches being held at the Sindorim NiceGameTV Studio, a venue that hosted and produced various esports competitions. The league then moved to the FreecUP Studio in 2017, remaining there for four years. This venue saw the rise of several future stars of the Korean scene, including Heo "ShowMaker" Su, Son "Lehends" Si-woo, Park "Viper" Do-hyeon, and Jeong "Chovy" Ji-hoon, all of whom honed their skills there before reaching the highest level of Korean competition.

New era and LCK Challengers League

With a new name and visual identity, Korea’s second division of League of Legends also changed its venue. For the LCK Challengers League 2021 Spring Split, the LCK CL moved to the V.Space VSPN E-Sports Arena. The venue can accommodate up to 400 people and marks a significant step forward in the world of esports. Providing young players with the opportunity to compete in front of a live audience and gain on-stage experience is a key factor in why South Korea remains the most dominant nation on the League of Legends scene.

Since the 2023 Spring Split, the LCK CL has been held at the WDG Studio Hongdae. The arena is located in the basement of the Hongik University Art and Design Valley in Seoul's vibrant Hongdae district. It boasts a seating capacity of up to 600. The studio also features a lobby and hall equipped with various events and interactive booths, offering attendees a diverse and engaging experience.