Esports: League of Legends 2022 World Championship to be held in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO — The League of Legends 2022 World Championship final will be held at the Chase Center in tech-savvy San Francisco, game developer and tournament organizer Riot Games announced on Sunday.

The “Super Bowl of esports” will take place at the state-ofthe-art home of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Golden State Warriors in early November after qualifying rounds are played in Mexico City, New York and Toronto.

“It’s going to be a full continental tour, which we’re really excited about,” said Naz Aletaha, global head of League of Legends Esports.

It will mark the championship’s 12th iteration and its return to North America for the first time since 2016.

The Mexico City event will mark the first time the competition has been held in Latin America.

China’s Edward Gaming was crowned the 2021 champions in Reykjavík earlier this month with South Korea’s DWG KIA finishing runner-up.

Peak viewership during this year’s finals hit a record 73.8 million, a 60% jump from the previous year, said John Needham, president of Esports at Riot Games.

“The excitement and momentum around League of Legends esports is at an all-time high,” Aletaha said. —