The best of the best "League of Legends" players have descended upon Los Angeles and are gearing up for the last of the World Playoff games Wednesday night, to be followed by the World Finals this Saturday. At stake: $2 million in prize money.
"League of Legends" is a highly competitive multiplayer battle arena game created by Riot Games that has, in its three-year existence, shot to worldwide popularity, not to mention enormous popularity in the world of eSports (electronic sports). For more on that, see InGame editor Todd Kenreck's video below.
The playoffs initially got under way in Los Angeles last week with 12 teams representing China, Vietnam, Korea, Taiwan, North America, and Europe -- all competing for a total of $2 million in prize money. After the playoffs finish Wednesday night, only two teams will remain. Those two teams will compete at Galen Center on Saturday. The winning team will be given a $1 million grand prize.
Wednesday night's playoff schedule is as follows:
- Match 1 – Team WE vs. Counter Logic Gaming EU quarterfinal match
- Match 2 – M5.BenQ vs. Taipei Assassins semifinal match
- Match 3 – Azubu Frost vs. the winner of the Match 1
Last week, the playoff games ran into technical issues that caused Riot to postpone the last of the matches. The playoffs also drew accusations that competitors were able to get a glimpse of each other's maps due to the way the competition was laid out.
But Riot says it has addressed the technical issues and has made sure it has the "accouterments necessary to provide a level playing field for the teams" competing in tonight's and this Saturday's big events.
You can follow the semifinal action live online and for free on Wednesday through Riot's own "League of Legends" site as well as on Twitch.tv and Own3D. The playoffs get under way at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET.
Meanwhile, stay tuned here to InGame for more coverage of the World Championships. InGame editor Todd Kenreck is on hand in Los Angeles and will have an in-depth look at these high stakes games.
Winda Benedetti writes about video games for NBC News. You can follow her tweets about games and other things on Twitter here @WindaBenedetti, and you can follow her on Google+. Meanwhile, be sure to check out the IN-GAME FACEBOOK PAGE to discuss the day's gaming news and reviews.