Competitive Legends of Runeterra is off to a good start in Korea.
Following the EU Creators Invitational last weekend, interest in competitive LoR tournaments continues to grow, with an average of around 6,500 viewers watching round 16 of the Korea Invitational this morning.
The tournament first earned its worldwide recognition last week during its preliminaries with a stellar performance by Xixo and his Ashe Harrowing Control deck. And with peak viewership likely coming close to 10,000, it’s clear LoR has a decent following in the region.
Viewership numbers are still a ways below Hearthstone or major esports like League of Legends. But the Korea Invitational viewership numbers are in the same ballpark as the stats from MTG Weekly via Arena last year, and even the most recent Magic tabletop Players Tour streams,. These early stats are a positive sign that a Runeterra esports league may be worth the investment.
There are two days left of competitive gameplay, taking place on March 16 to 17 at 5am CT. The LoR Korea Invitational consists of 16 of Korea’s top-ranked players, along with three casters (KimYoung-il, Tahyoni, and Dunn), and a sweet introduction video.
The EU Creators Invitational metagame was diverse, and according to builds recorded by Decks of Runeterra, the same is true at the Korea Invitational. Top builds include Xixo and his Ashe Harrowoing Control, Rally Mistwraiths, Teemo Burn, Spooky Karma, Frostbite Control, Kinkou Elusives, Fiora Barrier, and Garen Elites.
The top-eight airs next Monday, March 16, followed by the semifinals and final match on March 17. Coverage of the Legends of Runeterra Korea Invitational 2020 begins at 5am CT each day via the Riot Games Korean Twitch channel.
