eSports

Riot Games Reveals Multi-City Tour across North America for 2022 League of Legends World Championship

Published

4 years ago

November 24, 2021

Riot Games Reveals Multi-City Tour across North America for 2022 League of Legends World Championship

Riot Games announced that its premier esports event, the League of Legends World Championship, returns to North America for the first time since 2016 with a continental tour.

The Worlds 2022 event will feature:

Play-Ins in Mexico City, Mexico;
Groups and Quarterfinals in New York City;
Semifinals in Toronto, Canada;
Finals in San Francisco, California.

This will be the first time Riot Games has hosted a multinational North American Worlds, making first-time stops in both Mexico and Canada.

The announcement was made at a press conference at Chase Center prior to the Golden State Warriors vs. Toronto Raptors NBA game featuring teams from the semifinal city (Toronto) and final city (San Francisco). Participants outlined Riot’s plan to “canvas North America,” with the final two stops being Scotiabank Arena, home of the Toronto Raptors, and Chase Center, home of the six-time NBA Champion Golden State Warriors.

The Worlds 2022 venue lineup also includes Play-Ins from LoL Esports’ Liga Latinoamerica (LLA) competition arena before contesting both Groups and the Quarterfinals at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

“The momentum behind League of Legends Esports has only continued to grow since the last time we hosted Worlds in the U.S. in 2016. We’re thrilled to bring the full scale of our global sport back to North America, and, COVID permitting, welcome fans into the stands across three countries and four different cities,” said Naz Aletaha, Global Head of LoL Esports.

“Worlds is the showcase of the greatest of our sport, and we look forward to celebrating that with our fans in North America and across the world.”

Chase Center, also home of the Golden Guardians, a team in LoL Esports’ North American league (LCS), opened its doors in 2019. It is an award-winning sports and entertainment arena that boasts a seating capacity of 18,064. In addition to Warriors’ home games, the venue also hosts a variety of concerts, conventions, and other large-scale events.

Chase Center will be the 10th unique arena to host a Worlds Final. The most recent Worlds Finals venues and locations include the Laugardalshöll Sport Center in Reykjavík, Iceland (2021); SAIC Motor Pudong Arena in China (2020); AccorHotels Arena in Paris, France (2019); Incheon Munhak Stadium in Incheon, South Korea (2018); Beijing National Stadium in Beijing, China (2017); and the Staples Center in Los Angeles (2016).

Scotiabank Arena, also home to the Toronto Maple Leafs, opened its doors in 1999 and is often ranked the #1 Canadian arena. The venue has been recognized with more than 50 industry awards highlighting the venue’s security, accessibility, fan service, environmental commitment, food and beverage, marketing, design, partnerships, live entertainment, sales and box office service.

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Sunday’s announcement prior to the Warriors vs. Raptors game featured Riot’s senior most esports executives alongside top casters and LoL Esports players:

John Needham, President, Esports at Riot Games
Naz Aletaha, Global Head of LoL Esports
Chris Greeley, Head of Esports, North America and Oceania Pacific
Martin Blaquier, Head of Esports, Latin America
Eric “Licorice” Ritchie, top laner for Golden Guardians, LCS
Choi “huhi” Jae-hyun, support for 100 Thieves, LCS
Isaac “Azael” Cummings-Bentley, commentator and analyst
Sam “Kobe” Hartman-Kenzler, commentator and analyst

Worlds is the pinnacle of LoL Esports competition in which the top teams from 12 diverse regions compete for the world champion title. Held at the end of the regular season in a different host region each year, 24 teams from Riot’s 12 professional leagues participate in the month-long tournament to crown one team as the best in the world. The 2020 World Championship shattered previous viewership records with more than 45.95 million peak concurrent viewers worldwide and an average minute audience (AMA) of more than 23.04 million.

In November 2021, the 2021 Worlds Final came down to Worlds defending champions and heavy favorites DWG KIA from Riot Games’ South Korean league, LCK, facing EDward Gaming, the top-seeded team from Riot’s China league, LPL. EDG raised the Summoner’s Cup trophy and earned Mercedes-Benz championship rings after a thrilling best-of-five series. Worlds 2021 set new viewership records for esports that surpassed Worlds 2020’s numbers, with a report detailing official numbers to be released in December.

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TEAM VITALITY AND HUMMEL LAUNCH ALTERNATE JERSEY AND EXCLUSIVE APPAREL COLLECTION

Published

2 days ago

September 3, 2025

Peter Tolan

Team Vitality launches 2025 Alternate Jersey and an exclusive apparel collection, bringing a new level of energy and excitement for fans.
The jersey, featuring a white base with red and blue accents, pays homage to the French flag and will be worn by all Team Vitality athletes at major esports events taking place in France later this year, including the Rocket League Worlds and EVO Nice.
The Alternate Jersey is available today for €79.99, both online and at Team Vitality’s official Paris store.

Team Vitality is proud to unveil its new Alternate Jersey, accompanied by an exclusive apparel collection. This launch completes the club’s annual merchandise lineup, following the release of the black Pro Jersey earlier this year and the iconic yellow US-style Jersey worn during the Austin Major triumph.

This Alternate edition, featuring the French blue, white and red, honours Team Vitality’s Parisian roots while celebrating the major esports events set to close out the year in France.

The jersey will feature on the global stage with the Rocket League team at the World Championships from September 12 to 14.

PERFORMANCE MEETS LIFESTYLE

The Alternate Collection features a new, stylish jersey and a limited-edition clothing line that blends performance and lifestyle. As with every year, the Alternate Jersey is traditionally white, serving as a complement to the black Pro Jersey released earlier in the year.

Designed in collaboration with hummel, the jersey combines comfort and performance, offering a lightweight fit built to withstand the demands of competitive play. The accompanying exclusive apparel collection follows the same artistic vision, offering clothing and accessories designed for everyday wear. This brand-new lifestyle range, along with exclusive items, reflects the club’s distinctive style.

ALTERNATE JERSEY

Team Vitality’s Alternate 2025 Jersey – €79.99
Team Vitality’s Alternate 2025 Sleeves – €29.99
Exclusive Vitality Alternate 2025 Pack – €79.99 (includes 1 Alternate Jersey and a complimentary pair of exclusive sleeves)

LIFESTYLE COLLECTION

Team Vitality Alternate 2025 Sweatshirt – €59.99
Team Vitality Alternate 2025 T-Shirt – €29.99
Team Vitality Alternate 2025 Jacket – €69.99
Team Vitality Alternate 2025 Joggers – €54.99

ACCESSORIES

Team Vitality Alternate 2025 Scarf – €19.99
Team Vitality Alternate 2025 Flag – €24.99
Collector Cards (set of 3 or 8 trading cards) – €5.99
Mouse Pad (small / large) – €19.99 / €29.99

eSports

Fighting Game GOAT Justin Wong Joins BASILISK, Science’s Esports Team

Published

3 weeks ago

August 14, 2025

Niji Narayan

BASILISK, the global esports organization built to champion science, announced the signing of legendary fighting game competitor Justin ‘Jwong’ Wong as captain of its newly formed Fighting Game Community (FGC) Division. Wong will lead BASILISK’s entry into the FGC by recruiting players, developing community events, and creating FGC – science crossover content.

“Justin isn’t just a competitive genius – he is a cultural icon and humble leader within the FGC. We are incredibly proud to have him leading our FGC division and support the amazing work he already does for the community,” said BASILISK co-founder Christopher Bothur.

A nine-time Evolution Championship Series (Evo) Champion and Guinness World Record holder, Wong brings unparalleled FGC credibility and expertise to BASILISK. His reach extends across the entire FGC fandom of millions, and he was immortalized in Evo Moment #37 which has over 100 million views.

As Captain of BASILISK FGC, Wong will leverage BASILISK’s data analytics to scout and train the next generation of FGC pros.

“Math is super important to fighting games. I’m excited to join science’s esports team. I’m passionate about finding promising players with a positive mentality and shaping them into the next big thing. I want to see somebody else in the spotlight after me and help them reach their potential. If we can discover the next world champion, that would be fantastic,” said Wong upon joining BASILISK.

The signing comes on the heels of BASILISK’s new partnerships with The Planetary Society and Caltech’s Institute for Quantum Information and Matter (IQIM), announced in July. These collaborations create a powerful bridge between renowned scientific institutions and gamers, which Wong will amplify to his millions of followers and fans.

“Justin is a dream addition to our organization. He exemplifies the dedication and analytical capacity required to be an esports champion or great scientist,” added BASILISK co-founder Hans Kassier.

Wong becomes the second “GOAT” (Greatest of All Time) to join BASILISK, alongside Finnish StarCraft 2 legend Joona “Serral” Sotala, who just captured the SC2 Esports World Cup Championship in July 2025. The signing also creates opportunities for cross-over content with BASILISK’s diverse roster, including chess Grandmaster Vincent Keymer and award-winning science communicator Kyle Hill, who brings over 2.5 million followers and a vast network of science enthusiasts to the organization.

eSports

Fighting Game GOAT Justin Wong Joins BASILISK, Science’s Esports Team

Published

3 weeks ago

August 13, 2025

Peter Tolan

Nine-time Evo Champion and Guinness World Record Holder Brings Legendary Status to Captain New Team, Recruit Talent, and Advance Science’s Role in Competitive Gaming

BASILISK, the global esports organization built to champion science, today announced the signing of legendary fighting game competitor Justin ‘JWong’ Wong as captain of its newly formed Fighting Game Community (FGC) Division. Wong will lead BASILISK’s entry into the FGC by recruiting players, developing community events, and creating FGC – science crossover content.

“Justin isn’t just a competitive genius – he is a cultural icon and humble leader within the FGC,” said BASILISK co-founder Christopher Bothur. “We are incredibly proud to have him leading our FGC division and support the amazing work he already does for the community.”

As Captain of BASILISK FGC, Wong will leverage BASILISK’s data analytics to scout and train the next generation of FGC pros.

“Math is super important to fighting games. I’m excited to join science’s esports team,” said Wong upon joining BASILISK. “I’m passionate about finding promising players with a positive mentality and shaping them into the next big thing. I want to see somebody else in the spotlight after me and help them reach their potential. If we can discover the next world champion, that would be fantastic.”

“Justin is a dream addition to our organization,” added BASILISK co-founder Hans Kassier. “He exemplifies the dedication and analytical capacity required to be an esports champion or great scientist.”

Wong becomes the second “GOAT” (Greatest of All Time) to join BASILISK, alongside Finnish StarCraft 2 legend Joona ‘Serral’ Sotala, who just captured the SC2 Esports World Cup Championship in July 2025. The signing also creates opportunities for cross-over content with BASILISK’s diverse roster, including chess Grandmaster Vincent Keymer and award-winning science communicator Kyle Hill, who brings over 2.5 million followers and a vast network of science enthusiasts to the organization.