League of Legends World Championship unfolded, Korean supremacy continues

A gigantic stadium, grand orchestra, theme song by Imagine Dragons, and millions of viewers –  all of these would normally be the signs of a grand sports game (League of Legends is an e-sport, after all). Riot Games’ League of Legends Season 4 World Championship kicked off over the last month, as over 60 games were played in Taiwan, Singapore, and South Korea. Through the layers of group round robins and elimination matches, each professional player’s skill, reflexes, strategy, as well as other factors, was tested. The elevation of League of Legends to such a competitive level brought millions of fans to emotionally commit, as they cheered on their favorite players.

To qualify for the World Championship, teams need to place at the top in their regional qualifiers, hosted by the United States, Europe, Korea, China, Southeast Asia, and internationally for “miscellaneous” regions. Above all else, I found the addition of an “International Wildcard” most interesting. Hailing from some of the newer servers across the world, Dark Passage from Turkey and KaBuM e-sports from Brazil shined above the rest. Despite the fact that both of these teams were quickly beaten by other, more experienced regions, the fact that teams from these new “fringe servers” were able to make a show for themselves perhaps marks the true globalization of e-sports. I believe that in future years, they will fare better and perhaps even present themselves as serious contenders for championship.

After many exciting matches and perhaps surprising turnouts, the diversity began to diminish as teams advanced to the final stages. In the semi-finals, Korean teams Samsung Blue and Samsung White were pitted against each other, while Chinese teams Star Horn Royal Club and OMG had a nostalgic rematch. Some believe players from those two regions are inherently stronger than players from other regions, and that those two cultures naturally produce teams that are more competitive internationally. However, from understanding overall strategies and “metagames,” to seeing the discipline that well-performing teams often have, I believe there are many complex reasons why only Korean and Chinese teams remain. In the end, Samsung White was able to upset their sister team Samsung Blue in a 3-0 victory, and Star Horn Royal Club (SHRC) won three of the full best-of-five series against OMG.

The final matches were played in the 45,000-seated Seoul World Cup Stadium in South Korea as tens of millions more watched. At the pinnacle of the championship, it was the best Korean team versus one of the top contenders in the Chinese circuit. As usual, Riot did not disappoint fans with an equally exciting pre-game show, featuring an orchestra playing masterpieces including League of Legends’ theme song in grandiose fashion, followed by Imagine Dragons’ performance of the song “Warriors,” their theme song tribute. Samsung White players, despite having home ground advantage, showed respect and excitement worthy of a grand finale. The same could be said about SHRC players, now contenders for the title of Grand Champion for the second time.

The tournament resulted in a score of 3-1 as Samsung White took the Summoner’s Cup, making the Korean team its owner for the second year in a row. The actual matches were a lot closer than the score implied, however. On one end, SHRC a made an ambitious and noteworthy play, despite knowing that they were playing against a stronger opponent. However, throughout the four-game series, Samsung White’s executions could only be described as immaculate, showing no weakness. Despite SHRC’s best efforts, the Koreans came to the top simply because of their perfect game, and were deserving of being named champions again.

Now that Season 4 is winding down, Riot Games have already pushed some gameplay changes intended to introduce more competition and balanced plays. As always, professional players will need to keep up with the changes and trends, and stay innovative. Besides exciting matches, these tournaments also showcased amazing sportsmanship and community involvement. After a recent in-depth analysis and coverage by the New York Times, we can see how League of Legends, along with other e-sports games, is catching levels of attention unimaginable even 5 years ago. Being bigger, more expansive, more inclusive, and more serious than ever, the fifth season of League of Legends will definitely be a blast.