The League of Legends European Championship (LEC) will head to Budapest, Hungary for its 2020 spring finals, and to Malmo, Sweden for its 2020 summer finals.
The 2020 spring finals will mark the first time that the LEC has held an event in Hungary, whereas the summer finals are the first to be held in Malmo – and the first European League of Legends final to be held in Sweden since Stockholm hosted the 2015 summer finals.
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The LEC spring finals will be held on April 25-26th at an unannounced venue, while the summer finals will be held on August 29-30th at the Malmo Arena.
Alberto “Tiroless” Guerrero, Head of Esports for Europe at Riot Games, explained the company’s decision to bring the spring finals to Budapest: “We’re so excited to be taking the LEC to Hungary for the first time with this season’s Spring Finals in Budapest. Not only is Budapest one of the most picturesque cities in the continent, it’s a vibrant centre for the growing esports community in Hungary and throughout Eastern Europe. We’re proud to be a part of this developing market and to bring live League of Legends esports to fans in a new country.”
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As for Malmo, Tiroless stated that the city’s support of gaming made them a natural destination for the summer finals: “Malmo is home to multiple gaming and production studios and over the last couple of years countless commercial successes and indie titles have emerged from the city. With a strong and supportive local gaming community, the City of Malmo has invested deeply in the scene from educational initiatives to creative hubs, and is continuously focused on developing the environment for gaming.”
Ann Nystrom, Destination Manager for City of Malmo, spoke on behalf of the city: “Malmo is a young and vibrant city and gaming is quickly becoming rooted in the backbone of our city. We are excited to host the LEC 2020 Summer [Finals] together with Riot Games. It is an important step for us in becoming the best gaming city in Europe.”
Esports Insider says: European League of Legends fans in Budapest and Malmo will be thrilled with this announcement, and it continues Riot Games’ long trend of exploring new horizons with its regional esports events.