The not-so-secret news is finally out: Linkin Park will be the featured performing artist for the 2024 League of Legends World Championship anthem.
This year’s Worlds anthem is “Heavy is the Crown,” a new song off Linkin Park’s upcoming album From Zero, which will be launching later this year on Friday, Nov. 15. It’s the second single on the album—the band’s first in seven years—and will be the band’s eighth studio album in nearly 24 years since its debut with 2000’s Hybrid Theory.
“It’s been an amazing experience partnering with Riot to bring this anthem to the global League of Legends community,” said longtime Linkin Park vocalist and guitar player Mike Shinoda. “The song is a real highlight of this new era for us, harnessing our signature sound and infusing it with fresh energy. We’re so excited for players and fans to experience this!”
Fan speculation about Linkin Park being the 2024 Worlds artist began last week when fans noticed a League Esports account reply to a video from the band with a crown emoji. With From Zero’s tracklist viewable online, it didn’t take long for players to connect the dots to “Heavy is the Crown.”
“The Worlds anthem is the music moment League players look forward to the most each year, and it has become a highly coveted fixture in music across the world, “ Maria Egan, global head of music at Riot, said. “As the band embarks on this exciting new chapter, we’re honored to partner with them for the 2024 anthem. The lyrics for ‘Heavy Is The Crown’ perfectly capture the narrative for this year’s Worlds and they are a powerful companion to the themes of our music video.”
Riot calls “Heavy is the Crown” a “monumental collaboration for the band with the gaming industry,” culminating in Linkin Park performing live at Worlds 2024 in the U.K. on Nov. 2.
The video premiere for “Heavy is the Crown” will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 10am CT. Later that night, Linkin Park will play one of their six 2024 world tour shows at The O2 Arena in London, which is the same venue where Worlds 2024’s final will take place.
