by Jeremy Waxman on Apr 09, 2015
Those who have been around since League of Legends' humble beginnings may remember Fnatic claiming the title of world champions in Sweden back in season 1. The game has grown exponentially since then, but season 5 will see Worlds heading back to Europe, where it all began.
Riot Games faced many difficult decisions, as they tried to appease as many fans as possible who wanted to see League in their hometown, while also needing to be mindful of many outside restrictions. When looking at which venues made the most sense and would provide the best atmosphere, they found themselves drawn to a couple of cities that have already proven to be perfect fits. Paris was home to the 2014 All-Star Game, and featured one of the best and loudest crowds the game has ever seen. For the two week long group stage, Paris' Le Dock Pullman will be the setting.
Once the Quarterfinals roll around, the action will move to London's Wembley Arena, the site of an extremely well-received EU LCS road show last year. When the competition gets down to the semifinals, Brussels will get their first taste of League of Legends, hosting the final four teams at the Brussels Expo. For the finals between the top two teams in the world, EU LCS' new home, Berlin, will take center stage, with the last teams standing facing off at the Mercedes-Benz Arena (currently known as 02 World-Berlin.)
This is an impressive list of sites for the Season 5 World Championship, and although it's still quite a ways away, anticipation is already mounting. Riot Games has made a habit of outdoing themselves for each World Championship, and it's extremely exciting to think about what could be as Europe once again hosts Worlds.
Full schedule:
Group Stages: October 1-4 and October 8-11 - Le Dock Pullman, Paris
Quarterfinals: October 15-18 - SSE Arena Wembley, London
Semifinals: October 24-25 - Brussels Expo, Brussels
Finals: October 31 - Mercedes-Benz Arena (currently O2 World - Berlin)
Image credit: lolesports.com