League of Legends: Mid-Season Invitational 2022 to be held in Busan, South Korea
The 2022 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) is just around the corner, and developer Riot Games finally confirmed on Wednesday (30 March) that it will be held in Busan, South Korea.
This will be South Korea's first time hosting the MSI, and will also be the first LoL global competition in the country since the 2018 League of Legends World Championship.
It will also mark the return of live audiences, which was halted since the 2019 LoL World Championship because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The event will be held at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO), and information about ticket purchases will be made available at a later time.
MSI 2022 is Heading to South Korea!
Read more here: https://t.co/LPZMunPNUU pic.twitter.com/nF95U0j9pF— LoL Esports (@lolesports) March 30, 2022
The MSI is an annual global tournament that gathers some of the world’s best teams and is the second-most prestigious international LoL tournament (behind Worlds, of course).
At the MSI, the best teams from each of the 11 regions will compete in the Group Stage, Rumble Stage, and Knockout Stage.
Due to the cancellation of Eastern Europe's LoL Continental League (LCL) Spring Split, the LCL will not send a team to MSI.
“South Korea has been a trailblazer in the esports industry for decades,” said Naz Aletaha, Global Head of LoL Esports.
“We’re thrilled to honour its rich history in esports, the passion of Korean fans, and the talent of the pro teams by bringing MSI to Korea for the first time.”
South Korea was notably the host of the LoL World Championship in 2014 and 2018.
“Busan was an incredible host to us during both Worlds 2014 and 2018, and we look forward to returning there to set the stage for the best League of Legends teams in the world to face off,” Aletaha added.
"We are excited to host the MSI 2022 in Busan," said Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, adding that the city was looking forward to hosting visitors to the event.
Busan is the country's second-most populous city and is considered the heart of South Korean esports, with G-Star, the largest annual gaming convention in South Korea, calling it home.
Anna is a freelance writer and photographer. She is a gamer who loves RPGs and platformers, and is a League of Legends geek. She's also a food enthusiast who loves a good cup of black coffee.
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