Riot will host a new international event involving multiple regions to celebrate the new LoL Esports season.
The All-Star events have been very popular since the inaugural one in Shangai back in 2013. These international competitions gave fans a chance to see their favorite players compete and interact with other pros in a more relaxed and less win-focused environment. All-Star events were also crucial for players as they either got to grow their personal brands or for lesser-known players, let them introduce themselves to a bigger audience.
But due to the COVID pandemic, Riot had to cancel the 2021 All-Star event. And with the decreasing interest in the event from the pro players’ part, mainly due to the focus on their regional competitions and Worlds qualification, the event did not make a comeback for 2022 either. Many thought this would be it for the All-Star event. In a way, they were right. Riot just announced that they will not host any more All-Star events, but instead replace these with a new Kickoff Event.
With the start of a new year comes a blank canvas, a fresh start for us all, from the World Champions to those climbing ranked. With this journey in mind, LoL Esports is excited to announce a brand new competitive event: Season Kickoff!
Read more here: https://t.co/jfFvImlxQB pic.twitter.com/dDFWdmgi6s
— LoL Esports (@lolesports) December 8, 2022
The dates for this new Kickoff Event are already set, 10-11 January. It is planned as a celebration, not only for the upcoming League of Legends Esports season but also for the new ranked season as well. During its special two-day broadcast, Season 2023 Kickoff will preview the next season for nine of the LoL Esports’ international leagues: LCS, LEC, LCK, LPL, LJL, CBLOL, LLA, PCS, and VCS. It will highlight the competing teams, players and plans for the LoL Esports’ future, while also giving fans a first look at Season 2023 on the Rift.
Riot said in their announcement that while it was a hard decision to replace the All-Star event, due to its history of providing fans with countless special moments over the years, “replacing All-Stars with the Season Kickoff event will ultimately provide a much-deserved break for pro players and an exciting new platform for fans that will supplement the end-of-year local competitions and celebrations that regions typically hold during this period.”
Unfortunately for the fans, there wasn’t any other specific information on the event in the announcement. It sounds like Kickoff will feature pro players, analysts and other broadcast personalities. Fans also should not expect an offline event, with the dates on hand. With the starting dates for regional leagues really close to Kickoff Event, for example LCK started on January 12 last year, it would be impossible for pros to commit to an offline event.
Riot promised more information about the Season 2023 Kickoff Event in the upcoming days. So for more information about the event, and what to expect from it, keep following us on ESTNN.
Image credit: Riot Games
