Tickets sold out in two minutes for LCK Cup Finals in Hong Kong

For the first time since the league's founding in 2012, part of the LCK playoffs, the South Korean League of Legends league, took place outside of Korea on February 28 and March 1 at the Kai Tak Arena in Hong Kong. claimed the title against BNK FearX in a one-sided grand final in a packed 9,000-seat venue, while BFX had won the day before against Dplus KIA in the losers bracket final.

Kurt Li, whose comments are reported by Xports News and INVEN, co-founder of CGA (Cyber Games Arena), the local organizer, announced revenues of several tens of billions of won over two days, combining government subsidies, sponsorships, and ticket sales. He also reported that nearly 940,000 people connected to the ticketing website when sales opened, with all tickets selling out in under two minutes (18,000 seats across two days). The Fan Fest, running alongside the matches, drew 10,000 visitors on the first day, for a total of 15,000 across both days.

At the same panel talk on March 1, where he took questions from the press, Kurt Li was unequivocal: "From the perspective of a company that runs large-scale events, LCK is clearly ‘a killer content’." He went on to explain, “The level of play from the teams, as well as all the storylines that have been built around them, are already shared globally. In Hong Kong too, the passion for LCK is enormous." He added: "Tickets sold out in two minutes, concurrent connections nearly hit one million, and major global sponsors were involved and supported by the local government. This proves that LCK as an IP goes far beyond esports."

Behind this event and its relocation, LCK secretary general Lee Jung-hoon defended a clear rationale. As he put it, "over 60% of LCK viewership comes from outside Korea." For him, "the question is no longer how many people are watching, but how deeply connected we are with them. The offline experience is the most powerful touchpoint to lock in a viewer as a true fan."

To explain this shift, the secretary general drew an ambitious comparison: "You could compare it to the English Premier League or MLB, leagues that have established themselves as competitions loved all over the world, beyond their home country." For him, the question was how to bring the competition to those fans who are not in South Korea: "That is the starting point of this road show."

On the specific choice of Hong Kong, Lee Jung-hoon elaborated, “Hong Kong is one of the regions where passion for LCK is among the strongest. Geographically, its proximity to mainland China also allows us to attract fans from that side." He further noted that "in terms of economic scale and ticket purchasing power, the financial equation was clearly viable. And the biggest reason is the Kai Tak Arena, which opened just over a year ago, it was the ideal venue for this type of event."

Criticism had naturally emerged in South Korea before the event, with many questioning why a domestic final was being held abroad. Lee Jung-hoon addressed this directly at the same panel talk: "The unwavering foundation of LCK is its Korean fans. This decision is not meant to reduce their offline experience."

The LCK secretary general sought to reassure them by noting that domestic events remain firmly on the calendar, including Road to MSI in Wonju in mid-June and the regular season final at the KSPO Dome. "This is a bold challenge to offer global fans the same experience we have already proven in Korea," he concluded.

For him, a road show like this is not a one-off move but a longer-term vision: "This overseas road show format goes beyond a short-term event, it is a model for growing the league's revenue structure and the value of the LCK IP over the long term." He also highlighted that several sponsors are already considering expanding their deals to cover the entire Asia-Pacific region, rather than Korea alone, opening up new revenue streams for the league.

On future destinations, Lee Jung-hoon set out firm parameters. In his view, "the Korean fans' experience remains the top priority, so regions with too large a time difference are realistically difficult to consider." Beyond the timezone question, "the region needs to have demonstrated a certain level of LoL popularity," according to the secretary general. "If you combine all these criteria, the number of candidates comes down to a handful," he concluded. At the time of writing, no date or city has been announced, but CGA has reportedly already expressed a strong desire to host another LCK event in Hong Kong, according to sources cited by South Korean outlet Fomos.

The momentum looks set to continue, with T1 announcing two Home Ground events for 2026 as part of the LCK Team Road Show program: April 24-26 at the Inspire Arena in Incheon and August 14-16 at the KSPO Dome in Seoul. Rather than being organized by the LCK itself, these are club-driven events that bring the league outside of Seoul's LoL Park. The 2025 edition of T1's Home Ground at the Inspire Arena already drew over 30,000 fans and was considered a success by the organization, as its COO reported last August.

The overseas experience looks set to expand further in 2026, this time driven by DRX, who unveiled their HOMEFRONT event, also part of the Team Road Show program. The South Korean organization announced it will take place in Vietnam from May 8 to 10 at the Vietnam Exposition Center in Hanoi. DRX has already confirmed they will face Hanwha Life Esports there, though the rest of the event's content has yet to be revealed. This is a dynamic that Secretary General Lee Jung-hoon also addressed: "LCK is a premium global content. To sustain it, all ten teams need to be able to operate in a stable environment." As he add it, these events across Asia "allow teams to expand their business opportunities internationally, and that is how we build a sustainable ecosystem for everyone."