Esports organiser and production company ESL and advisory and investment firm Guinevere Capital have unveiled the League of Legends Circuit Oceania (LCO), a new eight-team League of Legends competition.
The new tournament becomes the premier League of Legends esports event in the Oceanic region after Riot Games pulled the plug on the Oceanic Pro League (OPL) last year.
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Starting on February 23rd, Oceania’s League of Legends players will compete in a new format for the region. Over the course of eight weeks and 19 playdays, eight teams will compete in a double round-robin format.
At the conclusion of the regular season, the bottom three teams will be eliminated, with the five remaining advancing through to a double elimination playoff system, where they will fight for the title of inaugural LCO champions and a place at the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI).
Peter Du, LCO League Manager and Senior Project Manager at ESL Australia commented: “Raise your koalas, because competitive Oceanic League of Legends is back. We’re excited to build up the LCO and create the strongest and most entertaining League of Legends competition that the region has ever seen.
“This is a new opportunity for Oceanic League of Legends talent to step up and begin their pathway to the world stage, while playing in the sort of competition that every LoL esports fan wants to watch.”
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All matches of the LCO will be broadcast live on multiple platforms, including its official Twitch channel, from ESL’s new purpose-built esports studios in Sydney. According to the release, fans should expect a mix of familiar faces and newcomers to the analyst desk and broadcast team.
Dave Harris, Managing Director of Guinevere Capital added: “It’s taken a huge amount of work to get to this stage and we really want to thank all the players, teams, brands and fans who are ensuring 2021 is Oceania’s biggest year yet for competitive LoL.”
Esports Insider says: It’s fantastic to see the return of a premier League of Legends event to Oceania, as it continues to prove that it will not be silenced in the world of esports. We can’t wait to see how far Oceania can take its competitive League of Legends scene.