Riot Games and LVP unveil the UK League Championship (UKLC)

FNATIC :

 
Details of the brand new UK League Championship (UKLC) are revealed in huge development for UK esports that will see Fnatic, Excel and more compete for a spot in the EU Masters
 
LONDON, January 23rd, 2019: Riot Games and LVP are pleased to reveal the UK League Championship (UKLC), the official regional League of Legends competition for the UK. The bold new UKLC league was developed by Riot UK and LVP to ignite the passion of viewers by developing UK content and competition that will make fans proud of their regional league. The league represents Riot’s biggest commitment to the UK to date, and sees LVP build their first UK-based office in London with a state-of-the-art broadcast suite.
 
The UKLC season will kick off on February 13th and will introduce the tower competitive format, which is reflected in the iconic UKLC logo, and will see teams battle to ascend the ranks of the UKLC and earn a coveted place in the prestigious EU Masters. Nine teams were selected to compete in the inaugural UKLC season: Diabolus, Barrage, Enclave, Bulldog, Phelan, MnM Gaming and Darkspawn, as well as Fnatic and Excel, two powerhouse teams who were also accepted onto the League of Legends European Championship (LEC) last year.  
 
Teams were required to go through a rigorous selection process to show their commitment to their players and ensure teams wanted to create long-term recognisable brands. Each team submitted a business plan including the working environment for players, legal information and financial plans, as well as a brand plan and strategy for increasing team followings. The UKLC, together with the Forge of Champions tournament that pits grassroots teams against one another and UK pro teams, develops the UK ecosystem further by offering players consistency, as well as a clear and accessible path to going pro.
 
Each week teams will attempt to scale the UKLC tower by going head-to-head in a best-of-one knockout tournament. The team that climbs highest will then get to face the previous week’s tower champion. If they’re victorious, they become tower champion and get bragging rights for the next week, along with a bunch of championship points.
 
The Spring Split will span seven weeks, with the top four teams at the end of the regular season moving to forward playoffs and the Grand Final taking place on March 31st. The team who wins will be crowned UK League Champion and will go on to compete in the EU Masters.
 
The 2019 UKLC season is formed of two splits, which will each feature regular season play, followed by Forge of Champions, and a Promotion tournament. The UKLC will also feature expert analysis and commentary from homegrown British talent in Ciernan ‘Excoundrel’ Lowe, Dan ‘Aux’ Harrison and Jake ‘Hiprain’ Matthews.
 
The UKLC will run from February 13th to March 31st and will be broadcast every Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm-11pm GMT onTwitch
 
For more information on the UKLC follow @UK_Riot and @LVPuk.
 
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Notes to Editors
 
The UKLC logo can be found here and a teaser video announcing the UKLC can be found here.
 
Margot James, Minister for Digital, said: “Esports is one of the fastest-growing global industries, and through our modern Industrial Strategy we aim to help this highly innovative and skilled sector go from strength to strength. UK esports is steadily growing in terms of talent and viewership. Extra investment in the UK, with companies such as Riot and LVP providing a multi-million-pound, multi-year investment, indicates an extremely bright future for the scene."
 
“The UK esports scene has a tremendous potential but has been neglected in the past, which has meant the audience has gravitated naturally more toward global esports content. By leveling up the entertainment experience and the focus on UK talent, we’re hoping to ignite the the passion of the fans and develop a scene for the UK to engage with and be proud of,” said Mo Fadl, Head of Esports, Riot UK. 
 
“Together with Riot our goal is to put the UK esports scene on the map. Building the LVP London studio is a huge commitment for us, but means we’ll be embedded in the culture and able to create new and unique content and experiences that we know the community will love,” said Sergi Mesonero, VP & Co-Founder, LVP.
 
Benoit Pagotto, Brand Director, Fnatic: "We're really excited to be part of the UK League Championship - this will offer our loyal base of fans in the UK a new opportunity to support the team they love. A big thank you must go to Riot who have made this commitment to the UK market. We know exactly how passionate esports fans in the UK are, so can't wait to get started on our home turf. Since Fnatic’s first LoL Worlds win back in 2011, the League of Legends Championship Series and affiliated leagues has established itself as the world’s most prestigious and globally respected professional esports league. We're proud to be a part of this."
 
“Riot and LVP are creating the UKLC which is something we’re extremely supportive of. Being an organisation that was forged in UK esports, it is highly important for us to see the further development of the UK scene” said Kieran Holmes-Darby, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Excel. “We’re incredibly proud to have made it to the LEC this year, but we still recognise the immense value in investing in UK talent and supporting our home turf.”
 
About Riot Games
Riot Games was founded in 2006 by Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill with the intent to change the way video games are made and supported for players. In 2009, Riot released its debut title League of Legends to worldwide acclaim. The game has since gone on to become the most played PC game in the world and a key driver of the explosive growth of esports. Players are the foundation of our community and it’s for them we continue to evolve and improve the League of Legends experience. Riot Games is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA and has 23 offices worldwide.

About LVP
LVP (Video Games Pro League) is the biggest esports organization in the Spanish-speaking market and one of the biggest esports organizers in the world. With offices in Madrid, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Bogota, Mexico and London, it is present in more than 30 countries. LVP manages the most prestigious national competitions (Superliga Orange in Spain, Circuitos Nacionales in Argentina, Chile and Peru), big international tournaments (Gamergy Masters, CR Nations Cup, Riot Open), online competition platforms (ArenaGG, Liga Playstation) and it also broadcasts in Spanish international events such as the League of Legends Championship Series (c) or the Call of Duty (c) World League. Part of the MEDIAPRO Group, LVP also offers event production services, online advertising and audio-visual production covering all aspects of the esports ecosystem.