The 2022 LEC Summer Split Finals will head to Sweden’s Malmö Arena this year for Europe’s first LoL esports stadium event in almost three years.
A live final last took place in summer 2019 when G2 Esports took down Fnatic in Athens, Greece. Various restrictions in the time since have prevented another such event. Now, after losing out on the previously planned 2020 summer final, Swedish LoL fans finally have the chance to see a large-scale LEC event in their nation.
The last time that Sweden itself held a European final was in 2015, when Fnatic capped off a historic 18-0 regular season by beating Origen 3-2 in that season’s summer split. Both sides impressed with Worlds semifinal finishes from there.
The event will ultimately determine World Championship qualification, making the Malmo showing a pivotal event. The 2022 LEC Summer Split Finals will run from September 10 to 11.Â
Riot’s official announcement outlines how “three of the LEC’s best teams step onto that stage” at the event. This suggests that the format will follow a similar path used in the spring whereby one finalist will have qualified the previous weekend whilst the other, qualifying from the playoffs’ lower bracket, will earn their spot through an elimination match the day before. As such, the third-place match can be expected on September 10 with the grand final on September 11 in Malmö.
Alongside the actual esports festivities at the Malmö Arena, Riot’s post also teased other “exciting plans for the LEC XPO.” The latter event will take place at the MalmöMässan Exhibition & Congress Center with Riot adding that more details will arrive “in the coming weeks.”
Tickets for 2022 LEC Summer Split Finals go on sale Friday, July 1 during the live broadcast’s RDYCHK preshow. The stadium set to host the finals may see up to 15,500 fans in attendance, though it regularly seats 12,600 spectators for ice hockey matches as the arena is home to the Swedish Hockey League’s Malmö Redhawks.
The LEC finals will not be the first esports event held in the arena. The venue has hosted a number of DreamHack Counter-Strike tournaments over the years, making it hallowed ground for esports.
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