Dwight Howard may be leaving Los Angeles, but Riot Games will be filling his spot. This is a mind-blowing bit of news today, as Riot Games announced that its free-to-play MOBA, League of Legends, will headline at the Staples Center in Los Angeles this October for the Season 3 World Championship.
That's right; a VIDEO GAME's championship match will be held at the premiere location for sporting events in Los Angeles, the home to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Kings. The World Championship event will take place on Friday, October 4, and the winning team will be crowned the Season 3 World Champion and will walk away with the Summoner's Cup and $1 million in cash.
The road to the finals will begin in the coming weeks, as professional teams in each region will play in qualifier events around the world. The top 14 teams from North America, Korea, China, Southeast Asia, Europe, and an international wild-card will head to Southern California for the World playoffs. The semi-finals will be held at the Galen Center in a single-elimination round, and the two remaining teams will advance to headline at the Staples Center for an undoubtedly epic match of League of Legends.
The Staples Center will house 10,000 attendees, which is just about half of what it houses for NBA games. This is an incredible leap forward for e-sports, as it will set a precedent for future gaming world championships.
Tickets will be going on sale soon at lolesports.com and other ticketing outlets.
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