The stage is set. League of Legends, one of the world’s most popular video games, is about to have its biggest event of the year. The world’s best League of Legends teams are about to fight it out in the Berlin, Paris, and London stadiums in the 2024 World Championship. Millions of fans are tuning in on, the popular streaming site, twitch and tens of thousands are filling stadiums to see which team is truly the best in the world. Worlds 2024 promises a rich story revolving around famous teams and players, as well as esports legend Lee Sang Hyeok, better known as Faker, once again returning to the international stage to defend his championship title. Esports have never been this big or popular, and League of Legends solidifies its position as one of the most popular games in the scene.
League of Legends is a team strategy game where two teams of five compete to destroy the opponent’s base called the nexus. The success of a team relies on its players’ skill, decision -making, and knowledge of the game. With over 160 different characters, each with a unique abilities and roles, players need to be able to play a wide variety of characters to adapt to the ever changing meta of the game.
One of the biggest storylines this year is the long standing rivalry between North America (NA) and Europe (EU) as well as the fierce competition between the super teams of China and South Korea. Historically, EU teams have crushed NA on the international stage, dismantling them with superior mechanics (skills), teamwork, and strategy. But in a shocking twist this year, NA has flipped the script. NA’s top two teams, Team Liquid and FlyQuest, have shocked fans by going toe to toe with Asia’s best teams as well as eliminating the top European teams from multiple international events. For the first time in years, North America is no longer going into the World tournament as underdogs, but as a region that can hold its own against the best.
However, the main showdown that fans are truly looking forward to is the rivalry between the top Korean and Chinese teams, as both regions jockey for supremacy on the international stage. Korea has built its reputation on disciplined, strategic gameplay, favoring long matches where patience and precisio are rewarded. In contrast, China is famous for its explosive, aggressive style, and jaw-dropping mechanical skill that leaves fans shouting and screaming in disbelief. As of right now, Korea dominates the international scene with Korean teams winning the championship title in 2022 and 2023, as well as easily defeating China in the 2023 Asian games. This year it is up to China’s rookie players to topple the juggernauts that are the Korean teams to bring home the world trophy.
Interestingly, many fan-favorite and legacy teams haven’t made this year´s world tournament. Titans such as RNG, Edward Gaming, Cloud Nine, JD Gaming, Invictus Gaming, and KT Rolster didn’t make the cut, leaving many fans shocked. In their place teams that were widely considered to be “garbage” have barely managed to qualify for the world tournament to compete for the title, adding an underdog story to the event. Even with absurdly low expectations these teams are putting on a show with their chaotic and “scrappy” gameplay, giving the crowd a taste of the games to come.
I interviewed senior Tszkin “Ken” Zheng, a dedicated LoL player and a long time fan of the professional scene. Ken shared , “I’ve been playing for five years, and my rank last year was gold four,” after reflecting on how his cousin introduced him to the game during quarantine. Ken’s favorite team is “T1”, a decorated team with four world champions and numerous LCK (the Korean league) titles. He has been following the team closely since 2022. However, despite his loyalty, Ken expressed doubts about T1’s chances this tournament saying, “They’ve been defeated quite a couple of times in LCK, and they were the fourth seed [from] [Korea] – they almost didn’t make it to Worlds.”
Although Ken is a diehard T1 fan, he admitted that, “Logically, I think GenG will win worlds,” highlighting GenG’s dominance both internationally and regionally in 2024. GenG’s consistent performance, including sweeping T1 in regional finals, has made them a clear favorite to take the World championship title. Ken’s opinions are shared by many in the community, especially after they convincingly beat China’s best teams in MSI (the mid-season invitational).
Worlds 2024 will undoubtedly give fans a plethora of memorable games ranging from perfectly played to most chaotic. Millions of old and new fans are gathering to watch this year’s biggest LoL (League of Legends) tournament to see if their teams truly are the strongest.
