by League of Legends fans in the United Kingdom can begin plans to attend the Mid-Season Invitational as Riot Games has confirmed that the 2023 edition of the tournament will be held in London, England, for the first time.
Riot Games made the announcement via a press release on its official League of Legends portal. The statement also revealed that they would be a format change for the upcoming event.
“The Mid-Season Invitational is coming to London in 2023!” Riot Games announced.
“Thirteen teams from all around the world will battle it out for the title of MSI Champion. We’re also shaking things up with a new format for the tournament, so get ready for some intense competition.”
This marks a significant milestone for the esports in the UK, as it’s the first time in over a decade that a major international tournament of this caliber will be taking place on their home soil.
The esports tournament will also be the sixth major event to be held in Europe, following the 2021 World Championship in Reykjavík, Iceland.
As soon as the news broke, social media was awash with excitement and anticipation from fans who can’t wait to see some of the world’s best League of Legends players and teams in action in the UK. For many, this is a long-awaited opportunity to experience live esports in their home country and to support their favorite players and teams in-person.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan expressed his excitement about playing host to the international tournament. In a video clip, he stated that the development sits perfectly with the city’s goal of hosting the biggest and best tournaments, thereby becoming a center for esports.
“We’re delighted to host the League of Legends MSI here in London for the first time ever,” Khan said.
“Esports is a growing sector and presents a hugely exciting opportunity for London and its gaming community. We want to bring the biggest and best tournaments to London, and MSI is a brilliant way to showcase our ambition to become a centre for esports.
“I’m thrilled to support Riot Games in this dynamic industry, both at grassroots and professional levels. London warmly welcomes all the tournament players and fans to our city and wish you all the best.”
The UK has a rich esports history, and it’s home to many dedicated League of Legends fans, as well as a number of talented players and casters. Among them are former Team Vitality top-laner Alphari, and casters such as Marc Robert “Caedrel” Lamont, Aaron “Medic” Chamberlain and Andrew “Vedius” Day.
The region also had one of the top European Regional Leagues with the UKLC, before merging with the Nordic Championship League in 2020.
The location of the 2023 MSI has yet to be officially announced, but it’s expected to bring major changes to the tournament when it takes place later this year. The number of teams participating is set to increase from 11 to 13 and there will be two double-elimination stages, with a play-in stage and a bracket stage. These changes are sure to make the tournament even more exciting and competitive than ever before.
With London being one of the world’s most iconic cities, fans have pegged it as capable of providing a great setting for the tournament. Some are of the opinion that the city offers a wealth of iconic venues that could provide an incredible backdrop to the event and have gone on to suggest that the tournament could be held in a historic London location such as The O2 Arena or at newer venues like the SSE Arena, and Wembley.
In the previous year, China’s Royal Never Give Up successfully retained its title as the MSI champions by defeating Korea’s T1, who was coming off of an impressive 2022 Spring Split run without a loss. However, this upcoming year the franchise will be missing its star mid-laner Xiaohu, who left to join Weibo Gaming after the season ended. Despite this, the team still has multiple members from the championship-winning team remaining for 2023, giving it a good chance of retaining its title once again.
