By Sagar V. Mankar Recently, Riot Games unveiled its ambitious plan to rejuvenate the League of Legends (LoL) scene in India.
This multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game has a huge fan following around the world and has a robust esports ecosystem.
As India is a rising power in competitive esports with over 400 million gamers (more than China, some say), Riot definitely wants to gain a slice of this vast user base.
While popular titles like BGMI (PUBG), COD Mobile, and Free Fire have traditionally dominated the Indian esports scene, Riot Games sees immense potential for League of Legends to carve out its own niche.
Last year, they saw an immense response from Indian esports organizations and fans for the first-ever International Valorant esports event India – Convergence. Held in Bangalore, the tournament helped to revitalize the esports scene for Valorant in India, and Riot wants to do the same with LoL too.
This strategic plan aims to strengthen the connection between the game and its South Asian player base through:
- Creator collaborations
- Grassroots tournaments
- Giveaways
- Original localized content
- Influencer-driven open tournaments
- Show matches
- Community tournaments
- Discord activations
These activities are set to roll out throughout 2024, offering Indian players numerous opportunities to immerse themselves in the LoL universe.
To begin with, Riot Games, in collaboration with The Esports Club (who hosted Valorant Convergence S1 last year) and Zotac Gaming, has announced a series of Community Cups. Season 1 of this CC tournament has already begun on July 11, 2024, with more seasons to follow until December 2024.
Alongside the community cup, The Esports Club will also host Streamer Clash, where top Indian creators, streamers, and players will meet in the League of Legends servers and compete against each other for handsome rewards.
Arun Rajappa, Country Manager for Riot Games India and South Asia, expressed enthusiasm about the initiative:
“We’re excited to be bringing League of Legends to the forefront in India. This isn’t just a game; it’s a global phenomenon that’s all about passion, competition, and having a blast.”
Besides League of Legends, Riot Games has also been planning big for Valorant in India and South Asia over the past couple of years. With programs such as Valorant Challengers for South Asia, the first-ever Game Changers circuit for South Asian women, and Convergence, they have significantly raised the bar for gaming in the entire region.
This means Indian gamers can expect a similar hype for League of Legends in the forthcoming years.
For more information, visit the official Riot Games website. And remember to subscribe to Gaming Foodle for more news!