League of Legends World Championship semi-finals moved to Toronto

League of Legends World Championship semi-finals moved to Toronto

10 July 2022

Even though the dates of the upcoming League of Legends World Championship 2022 have not been announced yet, developer Riot Games did already publish the schedule for the event that will be touring North America (see full schedule at the end of this article). In the build-up to the big event though, the company has now announced a change of venue for the semi-finals of the tournament. These were initially held at Toronto, Canada, but have now been moved to Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States. As a result of this move, the North American LoL tour will only touch ground in the States and Mexico.

COVID-19 complications

In an official press release, Riot Games explained that the COVID-19 pandemic is still impacting the organization of big international events like the LoL World Championship 2022. In this particular case, the stricter rules and higher uncertainty surrounding visas for players needing to enter Canada was the reason for moving the event from Toronto to Atlanta. As the statement briefly mentions, challenges related to securing multi-entry visas to the United States forced the organization to change its planning. By moving the Toronto event to Atlanta, Riot is making it easier for teams competing in all stages of the tournament.
“We are committed to upholding our tradition of a multi-city Worlds tour despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, and look forward to hosting the 2022 Semifinals at the state-of-the-art State Farm Arena in Atlanta,” explains Naz Aletaha, Global Head of League of Legends Esports at Riot Games, “This news is no doubt disappointing to our fans and partners in Canada, and we want to sincerely thank Toronto, Scotiabank Arena, and our community for their understanding. We look forward to bringing a major LoL Esports event there in the future”.
The LoL World Championship 2022 semi-finals will be held at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, the home venue of the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA that can seat up to 21,000 spectators.

Rest of schedule unchanged

The venues for the play-ins, the groups, the quarter-finals and the finals remain unchanged, Riot Games has confirmed. As stated earlier, the company has not yet announced dates or detailed schedules, but we do know the following in terms of the locations and venues:

  • Play-ins: Mexico City, Mexico, at the League of Legends Esports Liga Latinoamérica Competition Arena.
  • Group stages and quarter-finals: New York City, New York, United States, at the Hulu Theatre at the Madison Square Garden.
  • Semi-finals: Atlanta, Georgia, United States, at the State Farm Arena, home of the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA.
  • Finals: San Francisco, California, United States, at the Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors of the NBA.

Further information about the LoL World Championship is expected to be published by Riot Games over the coming weeks and months.

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