I thought I would have a little fun with this post and theory craft potential host sites for next season’s All-Stars and Worlds. I saw a post on reddit earlier today pleading Riot to host the next World Championship in Europe, and that inspired me to look back at past All-Stars and Worlds tournament locations in an effort to determine potential host sites for next season. Hit the jump for the full post!

Before I begin discussing candidates for next years All-Stars and Worlds I think it is important to look back at the locations that have been used since Season One. This should help provide context on why I chose the locations I did for All-Stars and Worlds next year. I fervently believe that spreading these marquee tournaments evenly throughout the major LoL eSports regions is important for the sports’ maximum exposure and fan accessibility.

Worlds -

Season 1: Jönköping, Sweden

Season 2: Los Angeles, USA

Season 3: Los Angeles, USA

Season 4: Taipei, Taiwan (Group Stage); Singapore (Group Stage); Busan, South Korea (Quarterfinals); Seoul, South Korea (Semifinals & Finals)

All-Stars -

Season 2: Los Angeles, USA

(NOTE: No individual All-Stars tournament was played in Season 2. There was, however, an All-Star show match played during the Season 2 World Championship)

Season 3: Shanghai, China

Season 4: Paris, France

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2015 World Championship Location -

The Favorite: China

The fact that China has not previously hosted Worlds makes me believe that it is the favorite to host the tournament next year. The only marquee Riot-organized event that took place in China was the 2013 All-Stars Tournament in Shanghai. Considering the immense LoL eSports fanbase in China, it is difficult to see any other region being awarded the biggest tournament of the year. Additionally, the number of large cities makes hosting both the group stage and bracket stage in China completely feasible. Detractors will argue that its proximity to the host nations for this years’ Worlds is reason enough to award the tournament to another region. While this is a strong argument, I still believe the fact that its never hosted Worlds before may prevail over that line of reasoning. The game is more popular in China than in any other country or region. I do not find it difficult to imagine that the finals of Worlds next year would sell out some of the biggest stadiums in the country. Hosting Worlds in China next year would increase the sports’ popularity in that country, and the potential financial windfall from such a move may be too enticing an opportunity for Riot to pass up. I want to see what the Chinese fans can bring to the table if they hosted Worlds. If the tournament is awarded to another region then it seems imperative that All-Stars returns to China next year. I personally believe that this is the most likely host for Worlds in 2015, and it will be interesting to see if my prediction comes to fruition.

Potential Venues (Bracket Stage): (NOTE: When choosing potential venues throughout this entire post I went with a “go big or go home” mentality. Thus, many of my choices may seem exceedingly ambitious or unfeasible upon first glance. I would argue, however, that Riot’s choice of the Seoul World Cup Stadium for this years finals indicates their desire to make Worlds into an immense event every year.)

Mercedes-Benz Arena (Shanghai)

Capacity: 12,000

Potential Conflicts: As of right now there is nothing scheduled on their webpage past November of this year. It isn’t used regularly as an arena by any sports team, but it has played host to a number of high profile musical acts in the years since its opening.

Shanghai Stadium (Shanghai)

Capacity: 80,000

Potential Conflicts: Shanghai Stadium is the home of Chinese Super League (Football) team Shanghai East Asia. That league still plays in September / October so Shanghai Stadium’s potential use as a venue for the finals of Worlds would have to be scheduled around any games that will potentially be played here next season.

MasterCard Center (Beijing)

Capacity: 18,000

Potential Conflicts: I could not find a schedule for the MasterCard Center online, but considering it is a popular basketball and concert venue it is difficult to imagine that there would be no conflicts next fall for Worlds.

Beijing National Stadium (Beijing)

Capacity: 80,000

Potential Conflicts: The 2015 World Championships in Athletics are being held at the Beijing National Stadium in late August. Other than that I could not find any conflicts as the stadium hasn’t been used very often after the 2008 Summer Olympics.

AsiaWorld-Arena (Hong Kong)

Capacity: 14,000

Potential Conflicts: The furthest their concert schedule went on their webpage was a One Direction show next March. I could not find any additional conflicts upon further research.

Hong Kong Stadium (Hong Kong)

Capacity: 40,000

Potential Conflicts: I could not find a schedule for the stadium online so I am unsure of any potential conflicts with Worlds next year (assuming Worlds is in September / October of 2015)

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The Underdog: Europe

Europe has not hosted Worlds since the first season of LoL eSports, and this fact makes it the only logical alternative to China for next year. The success of All-Stars Paris and EU LCS London (Gambit Gaming notwithstanding) indicates that the reach of LoL eSports is spreading far outside the former Riot Studio in Cologne. Additionally, moving the EU LCS to Berlin next year gives the sport a larger market to reach new fans. My potential venues are based on the multi-country format pioneered by this years World Championship. While I think it is unlikely Europe is awarded Worlds next year, it is still fun to imagine what it would be like to see the finals in a venue like Wembley Stadium or the Olympiastadion. If China is indeed the host of Worlds for 2015 then I would almost guarantee that the tournament returns to Europe the following year.

Potential Venues (Bracket Stage):

Wembley Arena (London, England)

(Photo Credit: BBC)

Capacity: 12,500

Potential Conflicts: Michael McIntyre, an English Comedian, has three shows next year (October 22-24) that are a potential conflict. Other than these, however, there are no event scheduled at Wembley Arena throughout September and October of 2015.

Wembley Stadium (London, England)

Capacity: 90,000

Potential Conflicts: The last event on their schedule is a Rugby match in March of next year. Since Wembley Arena is the home of the England National Team (Football) it is not outside the realm of possibility that an international break may occur next October that could conflict with Worlds. This is especially true considering the fact that qualification for the 2016 UEFA European Championship occurs throughout next September and October.

O2 World (Berlin, Germany)

Capacity: 17,000

Potential Conflicts: Their online schedule had no events on their calendar after March of next year.

Olympiastadion (Berlin, Germany)

Capacity: 74,064

Potential Conflicts: The Olympiastadion is the home of Bundesliga (Football) side Hertcha BSC. Thus, scheduling Worlds around their play schedule may be somewhat difficult considering the Bundesliga season is active throughout autumn. The Olympiastadion may also play host to a German National Team (Football) 2016 UEFA European Championship qualifying match next September or October.

Ziggo Dome (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Capacity: 17,000

Potential Conflicts: Their online schedule had no events on their calendar after July of next year.

Amsterdam Arena (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Capacity: 53,052

Potential Conflicts: The Amsterdam Arena is home to Eredivisie (Football) side Ajax and faces the same potential scheduling conflicts of the other European football stadiums listed in this post.

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2015 All-Stars Location -

New York, USA

The east coast of the United States has been clamoring for a major LoL eSports event for years. If this is a factor that Riot considers when making their decision on where to host All-Stars, then New York is the most obvious candidate. The number of Worlds North America has hosted should have no bearing on this decision given the fact that these events, and the NA LCS, has never ventured into the Midwest or east coast of the United States. All-Stars is a show tournament, yet Riot could garner a lot of love from the consistently high ping east coast if it decided to host All-Stars in New York next year.

Chicago, USA

I will admit that the main reason I put Chicago on this list is because it is my hometown. It is an incredible city and I believe it could be an amazing host for All-Stars in 2015. Am I biased? Yes, but that is no reason why Chicago should not be posited as a potential host city in this post. I love Chicago, and I think All-Stars would be a massive success in the Windy City.

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

The rapid growth of LoL eSports in Brazil make Rio the most intriguing candidate to host All-Stars next year. Of all possible host options for All-Stars, Rio makes the most sense if Riot’s intention is to grow LoL eSports in as many regions as possible. This could be the tournament that announces Brazil’s arrival on the global scene, and the potential for growth in viewership and popularity in South America is something that should not be overlooked. If Brazilian fans of LoL eSports are even 10% as passionate about that sport as many of them are about football, then the crowds in Rio would be absolutely insane. I think I just convinced myself that this is the best option for All-Stars, and I would love to see this become a reality.

Potential Venues:

Madison Square Garden (New York, NY, USA)

Capacity: 20,000

Potential Conflicts: In addition to being the home of the New York Knicks (NBA) and the New York Rangers (NHL), Madison Square Garden is arguably the most famous arena in the world. The Rangers made the Stanley Cup Finals last season and the Knicks look to bounce back from a disappointing 2013-2014 campaign. Thus, it is easy to imagine MSG being completely booked throughout May of 2015.

Barclays Center (Brooklyn, NY, USA)

Capacity: 19,000

Potential Conflicts: The Barclays Center faces similar scheduling problems as MSG due to it being the homes stadium of the Brooklyn Nets. There are no other scheduled concerts or events for May of next year, but the Nets made the NBA Playoffs last year and look to repeat that feat again in 2015.

Radio City Music Hall (New York, NY, USA)

Capacity: 6,015

Potential Conflicts: The online schedule for next year does not go past April, but Radio City Music Hall is the traditional location of the NFL Draft. If rumors are to be believed the Draft may be moved to mid-May from late-April which could potentially conflict with the typical timing of All-Stars.

United Center (Chicago, IL, USA)

(Photo Credit: NHL)

Capacity: 20,500

Potential Conflicts: The United Center is the home to the Chicago Bulls (NBA) and the Chicago Blackhawks (NHL). This presents a major scheduling hurdle as both teams are poised for deep playoff runs and will likely both be using the arena throughout May and beyond.

The Chicago Theatre (Chicago, IL, USA)

Capacity: 3,600

Potential Conflicts: The Chicago Theater schedule does not go past April, and there are rumors that the NFL is considering moving the Draft from New York to Chicago next year. Nothing is set in stone yet, but this is something to pay attention to if the Chicago Theater is to be considered a potential All-Stars venue.

UIC Pavilion (Chicago, IL, USA)

Capacity: 9,500

Potential Conflicts: There is currently nothing on the schedule for the UIC Pavilion next May. This could be an alternative to the United Center and the Chicago Theater if scheduling conflicts exist. Its a happy medium between those two venues in terms of location and capacity (Fun Fact: I took the bar exam at UIC Pavilion!)

HSBC Arena (Rio De Janeiro, Brazil)

Capacity: 14,981

Potential Conflicts: The HSBC Arena schedule only lists events on their webpage through November of this year.

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I hope that this post was interesting for any readers out there. I mainly used this as an excuse to imagine what it would be like to watch a marquee tournament in some of these venues. Hopefully my imagination will become reality at some point in the future of our sport.

-Joseph T.

Twitter: JThorn_14

SOURCES:

All stadium photos and capacity information were pulled from Wikipedia unless otherwise noted. I either already knew the “Potential Conflicts” information or I went to the webpage of the individual arena / stadium to look at their future schedule of events.