Riot have just announced their plans for a Season 3 League of Legends Championship Series, worth ‘loadsa money’ (millions of dollar$, in fact).
I’ll let them do the explaining with my now patented copy/paste journalistic style (for those of you who can’t be bothered to click the link above and look for yourselves):-
With the Season Two World Championship only two months away and the Regional tournaments about to heat up, all eyes will be on some of the most exciting matches in League of Legends history. Everything’s on the line for teams looking ahead to Season Three. The top three teams from the EU & NA Regionals at Gamescom and PAX will each qualify for the League of Legends Championship Series, a completely new league coming in Season Three.
The League of Legends Championship Series is a global league of the top professional, salaried teams and will feature a structured season with multiple matches per week and playoff events leading up to the World Championship. Even better, all of this coverage will be free to watch live in HD. The best eight teams from North America and Europe, plus top teams from each Asian region, will compete for regional dominance. Winners from each region will then battle for the World Championship title with millions of dollars in prizes up for grabs. Furthermore, our Challenger Circuit partners will be back and better than ever, hosting major tournaments that will act as the proving grounds for the next generation of teams vying for a shot at competing in the League of Legends Championship Series.
We’ll have more details after the Season Two World Champions are crowned in Los Angeles on October 13, 2012. Until then, catch all of our coverage of Gamescom and PAX and witness the greatest teams in the world compete for a spot in the Season Two World Championship and the upcoming League of Legends Championship Series.
Let’s recap:
The League of Legends Championship Series: the top eight teams from the US and EU, plus top teams from the Asian regions
The top three teams from Gamescom and PAX immediately qualify
Weekly regional pro League of Legends matches live, for free, in HD
Millions of dollars at stake
Regular season, regional playoffs and a spectacular World Championship
Critical Challenger Circuit events featuring up-and-coming teams vying for a shot at the League of Legends Championship Series
With MLG, IPL, ESL, IEM, OGN, ABC, 123 and UNMe among the many to be getting in on the LoL action, I am beginning to worry how long before the bubble bursts on viewer numbers. But however Riot run this, expect some sick games with this much money at stake and also expect the Koreans to be out in force.
I have to say that with the Season 2 Championships now being effectively a qualifier for the Championship Series, kinda akin to getting into the Champion’s League in football, it really does look like regionals and beyond will be a pressure filled time for our favourite League teams and players.
