I sit here writing this from Gocheok Sky Dome about five hours before we kick off the World Final. T1 vs. Weibo Gaming. A showdown between two powerhouses. The backdrop of Seoul. The legacies on the line. The best of League. And with the thirteenth hoist of the Summoner’s Cup, we hope that Worlds is an unforgettable finale to your 2023 season.
I wanted to take this opportunity to reflect a bit about the grind and the glory of this year.
We saw exciting developments across regional leagues throughout the season. A new split structure in the LEC. The return of Uzi to the LPL. GAM’s parade through Ho Chi Minh City. LCK continued to grow in popularity. CBLOL fans showed us how contagious their passion is. And who could forget that Contractz interview. There’s too much to recount in just one letter.
We revamped MSI with an all new double-elim format and a creative kit that brought the in-game Inkshadow experience closer to the sport. Fans showed up and showed out at the Copper Box in London and around the world. In fact, you showed up so strong that viewership across the entirety of MSI 2023 was up 58% versus last year!
The 19th Asian Games included esports as official medal events for the first time. To see League players awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals alongside athletes from so many other sports was a milestone for esports. For me personally, it was an emotional moment. Standing there in Hangzhou bursting with pride at how far this game we love has come and overwhelmed with gratitude to be a part of the community who made it all possible.
And then, there’s Worlds, the best part of the year for so many of us. Over the years, Worlds has become more than a tournament. It’s a celebration of the best of League. The best of the game. Played by the best of the sport. A unifying moment for a community of millions coming together over their shared love of the game.
This Worlds has felt particularly special. Being back in Korea, the birthplace of esports. The storylines: A scriptwriter’s dream. An anthem rallying us all together. And the countless people from across the world of League coming together to deliver that Worlds “Wow!”
More than 70 costreamers across 17 languages have been producing S-tier content and offering fresh perspectives on all the action. Influencers and media have been telling the stories of the great plays and the legendary humans behind them. Sponsors have been firing on all cylinders to elevate the Worlds experience. And hundreds of thousands of fans have visited Fan Fest here in Seoul and the many other activations around the city, the viewing parties across the world, and more.
The new format delivered hype matchups. The Swiss draws added an element of drama and anticipation that we haven’t had before. I will never forget sitting backstage with the broadcast crew at KBS Arena -- quite literally on the edge of our seats, screaming as Sungbo revealed each team.
The excitement carried through to Knockouts. We watched eight teams battle it out and shared their exhilaration and their heartbreak as the tournament progressed to the two finalists. We saw more than a 65% increase in viewership from Play-Ins through Semis! This community never ceases to blow my mind.
As we close out the thirteenth season of our sport, we’re humbled that worldwide engagement continues to climb. That esports have permeated culture in ways we could have only dreamed of all those years ago. And that maybe, just maybe, we’re close to squashing “e-Gaming” as a term once and for all. ;)
Thirteen years of groundwork laid. Thirteen years of learnings, of successes, of failures, and everything in between. As we look to the future, we -- the collective “we” (teams, players, partners, influencers, leagues) -- have the opportunity to iterate, optimize, and shape this sport with the evolving needs of the ecosystem. To keep proving the doubters wrong. To honor and respect the precedence of those thirteen years, but to also stay bold and nimble as we build into a multigenerational sport together. Like they say, it’s not the destination, but the journey. And what a journey we’ve been on together. We’ve seen highs and lows, wins and losses, legends and rookies, kpop and hip hop. We’ve evolved with each season, and that evolution will continue for years to come.
Thank you for your support, for caring so much about this sport, its teams, and players, and for allowing us to be a part of such a special community. There truly is no place like League.
See you in 2024.
