By Sagar V. Mankar 
Riot Games, the developer behind the popular game League of Legends, has announced that China will host the 2025 League of Legends World Championship. This event marks the third time the championship, often called “Worlds,” will take place in China.
The announcement came as part of an extended partnership agreement between Riot Games and smartphone manufacturer OPPO, a major sponsor of League of Legends esports. OPPO will serve as a global presenting partner for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award at both Worlds 2025 and the Mid-Season Invitational 2025.
Previously, China hosted Worlds in 2017 and 2020. The 2017 championship was a large-scale event, with matches held across four major cities: Wuhan, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing. The final match took place at the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing, creating a memorable experience for fans.
In 2020, however, the event was scaled back and held solely in Shanghai due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which limited live attendance and travel.
Specific host cities for the 2025 event have not yet been disclosed but are expected to be announced closer to the event date.
In addition to hosting Worlds, China has been a key location for other League of Legends events. Earlier this year, the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI)—the game’s second-largest international competition—was held in Chengdu.
Meanwhile, the 2024 World Championship is currently underway in Europe, with Paris hosting the semi-finals and the grand finale scheduled at the O2 Arena in London. American rock band Linkin Park has contributed the official anthem, “Heavy is the Crown,” for this year’s Worlds, and the band is also expected to perform the song live at the London finals.