This Weekend In Esports - All Eyes On Worlds 2022
Every year the League of Legends World Championship, better known this year as Worlds 2022, dominates the headlines for a month. In the first weekend of November, the hype around Worlds reaches its apex as the grand finals take place. From the grandest opening ceremony in esports to some of the highest level play on Earth, all eyes are on San Francisco as T1 takes on DRX for the title of "Best in the world."
What's on the line?
Worlds 2022 will feature two teams from South Korea, long argued to be the strongest region in League of Legends. Both teams have survived a gauntlet over the last month, defeating competitors the world over to earn their way to the finals in San Francisco.
T1 is one of the most storied teams in the history of competitive League, having won three consecutive World Championships. That said, this will be their first appearance in the finals in five years. They are led by their mid laner Faker, considered by most to be the greatest player in the game's history.
CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO - NOVEMBER 03: (L-R) Coach Bae "Bengi" Seong-woong, Moon "Oner" Hyeon-joon, Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok, Lee "Gumayusi" Min-hyeong and Ryu "Keria" Min-seok of T1 and Cho "Beryl" Geon-hee, Kim "Deft" Hyuk-kyu, Kim "Zeka" Gean-woo, Hong "Pyosik" Chang-hyeon, Hwang "Kingen" Seong-hoon and coach Kim "SSONG" Sang-soo of DRX pose at the League of Legends World Championship Media Night on November 3, 2022 in San Francisco, CA.
Photo by Kelly Sullivan/Riot Games
On the other side of the map, DRX has had a long journey to the finals. As the fourth seed from South Korea, they had to reach the main event by qualifying in the play-in stages and then run the gauntlet all the way to the finals. In doing so, they are the first play-in team to ever make it the grand finals. The big story for them is around their marksman Deft, who not only is playing in the Finals for the first time in his long career, but is speculated to be intending to retire win, lose, or draw.
Where and when to watch
The Finals will be held at the Chase Center in San Francisco and will begin with Opening Ceremonies presented by Mastercard at 5 pm PST/8 PM EST. The ceremony will be headlined by Lil Nas X, who will perform this year's anthem 'Star Walkin.'' GOT7's Jackson Wang will also be performing.
The competition will begin shortly after the opening ceremonies conclude, and you can check it all out for free on Twitch.
