Riot Games and the Australian Football League (AFL) have officially launched League of Origin which brings four teams to compete for the title of Australian Champion in League of Legends. The League of Origin will follow the standards set by the State of Origin Australian rugby league series. New South Wales Blues and Queensland Maroons compete for the title and both have a long-standing rivalry. Players are selected to represent the state in which they played their first league senior rugby league game.
League of Origin
League of Origin will follow in these footsteps. Similar to State of Origin, players will represent their home sides. Star League players from the OPL, international, and OCE communities will face off for New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, and New Zealand. This is one of the biggest League events to hit the ANZ! According to League of Legends, players must be ANZ residents and “have a clear-cut tie to their region”. This includes players who attended school, university, or have spent the majority of time in that state. Teams from Victoria and Queensland have already been announced.
All four teams will compete online before two teams make it through to the grand final, which will be hosted live on stage November 17 at Margaret Court Arena. Melbourne Park, the home of Margaret Court Arena, was recently the location for the Melbourne Esports Open. The links between live traditional sports and esports is clear as fans come together to watch their favorite players battle it out… digitally, and physically.
Excitement all round
The AFL and Riot Games announced their strategic partnership earlier this year. Both parties expressed their excitement around the tournament and as we drawn nearer to the competition, that excitement only builds. Darren Birch, the AFL General Manager for Growth, Digital and Audiences, is really looking forward to the tournament. He believes Melbourne is one of the best locations to host such an event and touches on the notion of the growing esports industry in Australia:
The AFL is eager to provide League of Legends fans the chance to see their favourite players live in action. As the home of Australian sport, Melbourne is a prime location to bring together fans from across the nation and New Zealand for the League of Origin Grand Final. Esports is a growing part of our industry and we are delighted to host the event at Melbourne Park this year.
Dan Ringland, the Country Manager for Riot Games, echoes these words. He’s excited about the tournament and looks back on the success of the Melbourne Esports Open:
We’re excited to be taking League of Legends: League of Origin to Melbourne in what will be second stadium event there this year after a fantastic OPL Grand Final at Melbourne Park. Given their victory in the inaugural League of Origin title last year, the team from Vic will no doubt be keen to show New South Wales, Queensland and New Zealand that they are still the strongest esports state in the region.
League of Origin is live
Tickets to League of Origin are now available!
Melbourne's @MCourtArena transforms into a battle ground on Nov 17 as some of the best players from OCE face off for regional pride 🤜💥🤛.
Grab your GA tickets here:https://t.co/lYfSrmRd9V pic.twitter.com/8ZpYKrU5F3
— LoL Oceania (@LOL_Oceania) October 10, 2018
Tickets to the League of Origin are live and on sale now. Head over to Ticketek for your tickets to the grand final. The semi finals will be broadcast live on Twitch. This is an exciting time for League of Legends in Australia, so stay tuned for all the latest updates from us. If you can’t wait for League of Origin to start, check out the new K-pop skins coming to League. Or catch up on all the gossip from Worlds.
