It can be said that up to now, the Esports World Cup 2024 is a significant success for the League of Legends scene, especially in Saudi Arabia, as well as for Esports in general. In just the first season, and within a very short period (only about 4 – 5 days), League of Legends has helped EWC 2024 become a top trending keyword in global searches.
According to a recent announcement from the IOC (International Olympic Committee), this organization will collaborate with the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Saudi Arabia to organize a dedicated Olympic event for Esports, with League of Legends as the flagship discipline. This can be considered a major victory for Esports. Historically, no sport has ever had a dedicated Olympic event. The upcoming Olympic Esports could be the first experiment following the success of EWC 2024.
It goes without saying that the Esports community in general and League of Legends in particular are incredibly excited about this prospect. However, according to many evaluations, it seems that players from the LCK may benefit the most. In certain games like Starcraft and League of Legends, Koreans continue to demonstrate absolute dominance. Some opinions suggest that if combined with Olympic Esports (an event approved by the IOC to become part of the system) and with the ASIAD already established, Korean players may have additional opportunities to extend their careers instead of fulfilling mandatory national service.
– There are rumors that the KeSPA Cup will return for teams to select members for the national team.
– It would be interesting if they organize it, but where I am, I won’t get to watch it.
– The important thing is that this event could allow players to be exempt from service because it resembles the Olympics and ASIAD. Approved by the IOC, I believe this will provide Korean players with another way to extend their careers.
– I want to see how national teams choose their rosters.
Just the fact that T1 won the championship further maximizes the benefits of EWC 2024 from the League of Legends segment. It can be said that the success of Esports in general and League of Legends in particular up to now owes a great deal to T1. League of Legends is the second most viewed game at EWC 2024 with over 1.1 million views (only behind Mobile Legends: Bang Bang with nearly 1.2 million views). The finals of the League of Legends segment at EWC 2024 between T1 and Top Esports, with over 1.1 million views, also ranks as the second most viewed Esports event in the first week of July (from July 1 to July 7).
If this prospect becomes a reality, players from the LCK who have not had the opportunity to participate in ASIAD may strive even harder. However, as for Olympic Esports, it is still unclear how the team selection process will work, and audiences may have to wait a bit longer before receiving official announcements from the IOC and various regions within the global Esports scene.