Gangneung Ice Arena to host League of Legends Champions Korea Finals
Fans have been waiting for the location of the 2022 LCK Summer Split for quite some time. Riot Games recently announced on Twitter that it would be held on August 28 at the Gangneung Ice Arena in eastern South Korea. Unfortunately, Riot has yet to release the official schedule for the 2022 LCK Summer Playoffs.
The League of Legends Champions Korea is South Korea’s main League of Legends eSports tournament. The league, which has ten teams competing, has two seasons per year and serves as a direct qualifier for the annual League of Legends World Championship.
The format of the LCK tournament is straightforward. The top two teams advance directly to the semifinals, while the third to sixth place teams compete in the quarters to qualify. The winners of the LCK semifinals will compete in the LCK finals on August 28, 2022.
The Gangneung Ice Arena is a frequent host of major events—most recently, the 2018 Olympic Games. The arena can hold 12,000 people. Although the exact number of seats sold for the summer final is unknown, it would likely be larger than the previous playoff venue.
Last month, Gangneung Mayor-elect Kim Hong-Gyu expressed his desire to host the LCK Summer Final.
“The city has indoor stadiums and auxiliary facilities including Gangneung Arena, various tourist resources, and convenient transportation to the metropolitan area such as the Korea Train Express (KTX),” Kim said.
LCK Secretary-General Lee Jeong-hoon confirmed that the league would continue to prepare for the ambitious tournament and provide more information as it becomes available.
There will be several fan events in neighboring areas the day before the finals, such as a pre-Finals side event on August 27.
“with the active help of Gangneung City to create a fun and unique experience.” LCK organizer said.
Current revealed locations of LoL major tournaments
The LCK’s visit to Gangneung marks the tournament’s first final outside Seoul in four years since the LCK Spring Final at Busan’s Sajik Indoor Gymnasium.
The LCK is the third of four major franchised League of Legends circuits to reveal the location of the summer split finals. Riot Games announced June 13 that the top teams would compete for the 2022 LCS Championship at the United Center, which has a capacity of 23,500 and is home to the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks. The lower bracket and grand final will take place on September 10 and 11, respectively.
The European LEC will fulfill its promise to return to Sweden by holding its Summer Finals on September 10 and 11 in Malmö. The Malmö Arena, located on the outskirts of the Swedish city of Malmö was opened in 2008 as a multipurpose indoor arena. The venue hosts various global sports events and has a maximum seating capacity of 15,500.
The availability of seats in each arena demonstrates League of Legends’ success as one of the world’s most popular eSports. However, in the light of China’s latest COVID-19 outbreak, the Chinese LPL has yet to unveil an arena for its Summer Finals.
