Riot Games Reveal LANs To Return In VALORANT And League Of Legends

It's the moment we've all been waiting for. LAN events are back, and Riot Games has kicked the ball off. The developers of both VALORANT and League of Legends has revealed that esports is heading to Reykjavík, Iceland in May 2021, coming as the first LANs of the year.

The VALORANT Champions Tour Stage 2 Masters comes in as the first international event ever held for Riot Games' FPS shooter, which will commence as of May 24. The top ten teams from around the globe will fly to the icy battleground to be crowned as the first-ever global champions.

As for League of Legends, the cancelled Mid-Season Invitational of 2020 is back, which will come into play as soon as May 6. Here, 12 of the worlds finest teams will take to summoners rift, giving us a true test to see who has the best chance of dethroning DWG KIA (DAMWON) this year. 

Both events will be held in the Laugardalshöll indoor sporting arena and will be the first time Iceland has held an international S-Tier LAN. 

John Needham, Global Head of Esports for Riot Games, stated "We are thrilled to showcase high-level Riot esports competition to a country as stunning and unique as Iceland, underscoring that passion for our esports can be found in every corner of the globe".

“Both MSI and VCT Masters will introduce us to breakout stars to watch this season, and also serve as the initial events for Verizon’s extended and much-appreciated commitment to our esports ecosystem".

Unfortunately, no live crowds will be present for either championship. Riot has announced that teams from both titles will quarantine upon arrival in Iceland, and due to extensive Health and Safety reasons, they will be played behind closed doors, although they will be broadcasted worldwide across various platforms. 

Despite this, LANs are back, and it's only a matter of time before we can support teams in the flesh.

 

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Image via Riot Games