The world’s biggest esports league is headed to Las Vegas in April. For the first time ever, the Spring Split Finals of the North American League Championship Series (LCS) will happen in a new location.
Up until now each spring final has been held in Los Angeles. League of Legends game developer and tournament organizer Riot Games announced earlier today that the 2016 event will take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 16-17.
Like its previous Summer Finals at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, the event will feature the third place match on the first day, with the actual finals match on the second day. And—similar to Riot’s trip to New York City—it’s likely the Mandalay Bay Events Center will sell out.
The winner of the finals match will represent North America at the Mid-Season Invitational, a reoccurring event that Riot Games debuted last year at Florida State University. The event brings together the best teams from each major region—North America, Europe, China, Korea, and Taiwan—as well as one Wildcard team from a qualification tournament. The location for this year’s invitational has yet to be announced.
The LCS is the second esports event to head to Las Vegas this year. In January Turner, FACEIT, and WME | IMG’s ELEAGUE Road to Vegas event happened during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). And in July this year the biggest fighting games tournament, EVO, will take place at the same venue as the LCS finals.
This will be the first time League has returned to Las Vegas since the IGN ProLeague Season 5 in 2012. The tournament went down as one of the most monumental tournaments in the game’s competitive history due to bringing together 16 of the best teams from around the world.
It’s uncertain which teams will be at the event, but given the current trajectory of the LCS newcomer Immortals looks to be a sure thing. The team is currently undefeated, and has beaten Cloud9, Team SoloMid, and NRG Esports—some of the best teams in the region.
Tickets have not gone on sale yet, but Riot Games says they will be open for purchase in late February.
Photo via Thomas Wolf/Wikimedia (CC BY SA 3.0)
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