Riot Games opens ‘League of Legends’ esports arena in Seoul

Riot Games has opened an esports arena and culture entertainment complex for its hit online battle arena game “League of Legends” in Seoul.

The US game maker said it had invested around 100 billion won ($88.9 million) in the new space, dubbed LoL Park, which is located on the third floor of the Gran Seoul building in Jongno, central Seoul.

The space includes an esports arena for “League of Legends” players that can seat 400 spectators. It will host the 2018 LoL World Championship next month and permanently serve as the home venue for the LoL Champions Korea tournament, according to Riot Games Korea.

Riot Games Korea has also created a fan meeting zone to facilitate meetups between esports players and fans, as well as designated rooms and spaces for esports coaches and players to prepare for matches. 

LoL Park includes a specialized paid PC cafe for LoL players featuring 101 seats, where gamers can pay by the hour for access to high-end computers and fast internet. There is also a cafe decorated in the theme of Bilgewater, a city in the game’s fantasy world.

The Riot PC bang will start test operations from end-September, while the LCK Arena will be open to the public during the LCK play-in period from Oct. 1-7. The facility is expected to be fully functional by January 2019.

By Sohn Ji-young (jys@heraldcorp.com)