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A recent rumor claims that League of Legends (LoL): Wild Rift will reignite its world championship, after halting its operations back in November 2022 to set its focus on the Asia region. According to various sources, Riot Games may be hosting a Wild Rift world championship event in the year 2024. While the publisher is yet to officially confirm the said rumors, the head coach of Buriram United Esports Wild Rift team shared his thoughts on the possible return of a world championship event. According to him, it may not be as big as the previous Wild Rift ICONS 2023 but more reminiscent of the Horizon Cup which was hosted back in 2021.
Is the Wild Rift world championship coming back in 2024?
Back in 2022, Riot Games made the tough decision to halt its Wild Rift league operations and set its focus on the Asia region where the market is big for the game. However, it still promised to support third-party tournaments globally.
“We believe these changes will give the community time and runway to grow organically and establish what role high-level competition will play in their ecosystem. As the Wild Rift esports landscape evolves, we’ll be ready to move in lockstep,” explained John Needham, president of Riot Games Esports.
As the hype for the Wild Rift esports scene outside the Asia region slowed down, a rumor has started to surface, claiming that plans for an international event are being considered for 2024.
Glaceox shared his thoughts on the rumored return of Wild Rift international events
Riot Games has kept its 2024 Wild Rift esports strategies shrouded in mystery. Nonetheless, Glaceox, the head coach of the Buriram United Esports Wild Rift team, shared his thoughts on the swirling rumors that hint at a potential resurgence of the international competitive stage.
In the wake of the past challenges faced by Wild Rift esports, Glaceox highlighted an astonishingly poor cost-to-viewer ratio that has previously plagued the scene. This aspect has undoubtedly presented obstacles in cultivating a sustainable and thriving esports ecosystem.
Moreover, Glaceox expressed concern regarding the uphill battle that non-Asian teams often encounter when vying for success in the international arena as the esport scene is dominated by Asian teams.
Additionally, Glaceox touched upon the grassroots esports development, emphasizing that despite efforts, the growth has not reached a critical mass capable of justifying the establishment of an international-level tournament. The regional esports communities remain relatively small and concentrated, both in terms of fervent fans and dedicated players. This inherent limitation further reinforces the challenges posed by the aforementioned factors, effectively creating a cyclical pattern that impedes the flourishing of Wild Rift esports on a global scale.
According to Glaceox, if Riot Games does host an international event for Wild Rift, it may be more akin to the Horizon Cup instead of ICONS. This iteration would see the inclusion of just one team from each non-Asian region. Diverging from the format of the traditional qualifiers, this version would employ an invitation-based approach.
By sidestepping the resource-intensive process of local qualifiers with limited Return on Investment (ROI), this streamlined method would not only save on production and logistical costs but also concentrate attention on the most competitive representatives from each region.
A separate event where only non-Asian teams can participate can also be hosted to expand and rebuild its esports scene in Western regions.
