South Korea T1 wins fourth League of Legends world title

South Korean power T1 wins the fourth League of Legends World Championship

South Korean powerhouse T1 defeated China’s Weibo Gaming on Sunday to win its fourth League of Legends world championship, considered the Super Bowl of esports. T1 won three consecutive matches in a five-set final cheered on by 18,000 spectators at the Gocheok Sky Dome Stadium in the South Korean capital.

Legions of fans flocked to Seoul to attend the finals of the League of Legends World Championship, which has quickly become one of the billion-dollar jewels of the global electronic sports industry since its first edition in 2011.

True global recognition for T1

As the T1 members lifted the trophy, fireworks exploded and the crowd chanted “T1!” He jumped in circles while chanting slogans. T1! T1! » The team also includes superstar player Faker, who is known as the Michael Jordan of eSports and has won four world championships.

The 27-year-old Faker, whose real name is Lee Sang-hyeok, is the oldest League of Legends player to win the world championship. He enjoys celebrity status in South Korea; He is greeted by rock stars at public appearances and fans chant his name at games.

a rare opportunity

T1 lost the world finals in San Francisco last year and Faker described his team’s dominance this year as a “unique opportunity” to win the biggest prize in front of their fans.

According to Riot Games, the maker of League of Legends, the last tickets for the Sky Dome, where baseball games normally take place, sold out within 10 minutes when they went on sale in August.

Thousands of people gathered in the fan zone in central Seoul to watch the final, which was broadcast live in more than 40 theaters in South Korea.

A growing global eSports

League of Legends consists of two teams of five players each who compete on a battlefield with the aim of destroying the opponent’s base. It is the most watched eSport in the world, with tens of millions of viewers watching the live broadcast of the competitions every year.

England will host the 2024 World Cup with the final at the O2 Arena in London, Riot Games announced on Sunday. According to last year’s report by research firm Newzoo, esports is expected to reach around 1.4 billion viewers by 2025.

Source: thepeninsulaqatar.com