League of Legends to host midseason event in Vietnam, Taiwan

Published Jan. 28, 2019 7:01 a.m. ET

"League of Legends" will host its Mid-Season Invitational in Vietnam and Taiwan, bringing one of the competitive video game's marquee live events to Southeast Asia for the first time.

Riot Games announced the plans Monday. The play-in stage will be held in Hanoi from May 1-7, the group stage in Ho Chi Minh City from May 10-14, and the semifinals and finals in Taipei from May 17-19.

The MSI pits the top teams from each of game's 13 regional leagues. The Vietnam Championship Series earned status as one of those competitive regions in 2018, and its teams have done increasingly well on the international stage.

Taiwan has been an esports power in Southeast Asia for years. The Taipei Assassins won the LoL World Championship in 2012 and are the last team from outside South Korea or China to win an MSI or World Championship.

Last year's MSI play-in and group stages were held in Adlershof, Germany, and the semifinals and finals were in Paris. The total prize pool for the 2018 MSI was $1,370,520. Previous MSIs have been held in Brazil, China, and Tallahassee, Florida.