ESL, the world’s largest esports company, will run the new League of Legends European Masters tournament, launching this April with the first Spring split in the UK. 26 teams will compete for a prize pool of €150,000 with matches broadcasted live in ten languages at:
The new European Masters tournament is the pinnacle of regional and grassroots League of Legends esports in Europe. The competition will be the leading tournament for semi-professional players in the region, pitting country against country and team against team. The Summer split finals will take place in Poland by ESL, with further details announced soon.
European Masters is a significant step in ESL’s plans to support grassroots esports talent across the region, by filling the gap between national and international competitions. Teams qualify for the tournament through European Regional Leagues, most of which are ESL National Championships, allowing Europe’s rising esports stars to take the next step in turning professional.
The first split of European Masters 2018 will take place in the UK. The tournament will run in three stages, kicking off with Play-Ins on 9 April to 12 April. This will be followed by a Group Stage on 14 April to 17 April, and Knockouts on 19 April to 22 April. The Grand Finals will take place on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 April at the Haymarket Theatre in Leicester. Hundreds of League of Legends fans will watch the Grand Finals live, in the first esports tournament hosted by ESL in the newly refurbished theatre. The Spring split will be produced in partnership with paysafecard.
“We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with Riot Games by powering the League of Legends European Masters,” said James Dean, UK Managing Director at ESL. “From our time running the ESL Premiership for League of Legends, we know how incredible the level of play in these competitions can be! The Spring split is a great opportunity for fans to see some of the most impressive rising stars in the European League of Legends scene. Our aim is to offer an even better competition experience for fans, and even more opportunities for talented European players to raise their game in esports.”
Leicester’s City Mayor Peter Soulsby – who commissioned the £3.6million refurbishment of the Haymarket Theatre in Leicester – is pleased that the venue will be hosting the prestigious Grand Finals.“Leicester has long been associated with creativity and innovation, so I’m delighted that the city is establishing itself as a hub for the rapidly-growing esports industry,” he said.“I hope that the fans who will be flocking to the refurbished Haymarket Theatre for the Grand Finals will enjoy the competition – as well as the venue – and we look forward to welcoming them to our city later this month.”
For more information on the League of Legends European Masters, visit https://www.eumasters.gg/ . For those travelling to Leicester, hotel and travel recommendations can be found at www.visitleicester.info . Tickets for the Grand Finals in Leicester, UK, are on sale at http://esl.pm/EUMTickets.