Reykjavík, Iceland is set to become the stage for two major Riot Games esports events. The studio has announced that both the 2021 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational, as well as the Valorant Champions Tour Stage 2 Masters event, will be taking place in the country’s capital in May.
2020’s LoL MSI event had originally been cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic, though the success of Worlds 2020 in Shanghai appears to have brought a new confidence to Riot’s plans for 2021. This year’s MSI is set to kick off on May 6, with the final taking place on May 23. As is customary, the best team from each of the 12 top regional leagues will come together to compete for the title currently held by the LEC’s G2 Esports.
This year will also see a change in format, with the invitational spread across three stages. The preliminary group stage will see three groups of four teams battle it out in a best-of-one double round robin. The top two teams from each group will then proceed to play each other in yet another best-of-one double round robin. From there, the top four teams will enter the playoffs bracket in a single elimination, best-of-five semifinal and then final.
Immediately after the conclusion of MSI, the VCT Stage 2 Masters will kick off on May 24, with the final scheduled for May 30. During the event, the top 10 teams from around the world will face off in order to secure a coveted spot at Champions at the end of the year. According to Riot’s senior director of esports, Whalen Rozelle, a LAN event of this scale is the “next big step in further establishing Valorant as the fastest-growing global esport.”
#MSI2021 is coming. Who will Break Out? Pack your parkas, because League of Legends’ greatest pro players are about to showdown in Iceland! This sprawling, epic landscape will set the stage for big moves & rising legends. Dates: May 6-22. pic.twitter.com/besQKwW3AW
— LoL Esports (@lolesports) March 1, 2021
Upon arrival, both LoL and Valorant teams will quarantine for a period of time. Additionally, to further protect players, staff, and the local population, the events – which are set to take place in Reykjavík’s Laugardalshöll indoor sporting arena – will not be accommodating a live audience. Nonetheless, Riot’s global head of esports John Needham says that the studio is “thrilled to showcase high-level Riot esports competition to a country as stunning and unique as Iceland.” We can’t wait to see the drone footage.
