The first-ever roadshow in the new LEC format is heading to Montpellier, France.
The 2023 LEC Season is starting just today, with a matchup between Excel and G2, we’ve already learned where the Season Finals will be heading at the end of the year. With the announcement of the new LEC format and the change to EMEA, the number of roadshows each year was reduced to just one. Instead of each Spring and Summer having its own arena event, with the new format only the end-of-year Season Finals will have a roadshow.
Thankfully, fans don’t have to wait long for the location announcement. In a press release today, LEC revealed that the 2023 LEC Season Finals will be held at Sud de France Arena in Montpellier, in the Occitanie region of France. The venue known as the Arena Montpellier is an indoor arena with a seating capacity of 14,000 spectators, nearly 10,000 for sporting events. It was previously home to multiple concerts, Olympic qualifications and the FIBA EuroBasket 2015’s group stage.
“We are proud to host the 2023 LEC Season Finals in the Occitanie Region and in Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole. The monumental event brings together young people from all over EMEA and hosting the finals showcases our commitment to players in the video games industries. This event will contribute to the influence of our video game ecosystem and its community, among the most important in France and the region,” said Carole Delga, the President of the Occitanie Region and Michael Delafosse, Mayor of Montpellier and President of Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, in a joint statement.
French community is one of the fastest growing ones in the European LoL scene. LFL has been the best ERL in recent years, with its representatives dominating the European Masters competitions. France also hosted multiple events before, most notably showmatches featuring Karmine Corp, which is owned by the French streamer Kamel “Kameto” Kebir. Thanks to the big investments from figures like Kameto, LFL enjoyed a lot of regional support from fans and also massive viewership numbers. Outside of the game, Montpellier and Occitanie Region are also where the Fortiche Production, the studio behind the League of Legends animated series Arcane, is based.
Addressing the importance of France and French fans to Riot Games, Alberto Guerrero, Head of EMEA Esports said, “With such a large and spirited LoL Esports fan base in France, we’re delighted to bring our roadshow back to the country for the first time since 2017, by hosting our showpiece event in Montpellier in the Occitanie region. The city and region were extremely impressive throughout the host city vetting process and their passion and commitment to growing the gaming and esports industries was very evident.”
Riot will announce more about the roadshow in the upcoming months, including ticket sales, event dates and more content about the Season Finals. You can find out more about these by keeping an eye out on lolesports.com, or by following us on ESTNN.
