Riot Games announced today that the League of Legends World Championship will host their semifinals in Atlanta, Georgia at State Farm Arena. This will be the first event League of Legends held in Atlanta, Georgia.

According to a press release from Riot Games, “Originally the semifinals were to be held at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena, but due to COVID-19 impacting the viability of securing multi-entry visas to the U.S. within necessary timelines, Riot decided to move the location to provide a clear path for teams to complete in all stages of Worlds.”

“We are committed to upholding our tradition of a multi-city Worlds tour despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, and look forward to hosting the 2022 Semifinals at the state-of-the-art State Farm Arena in Atlanta. This news is no doubt disappointing to our fans and partners in Canada, and we want to sincerely thank Toronto, Scotiabank Arena, and our community for their understanding. We look forward to bringing a major LoL Esports event there in the future.” said Naz Aletaha, Global Head of LoL Esports, Riot Games.

The 2022 World Championship is being held on the North American continent. A coast-to-coast event, this will be the second time North America has hosted Worlds. The first was in 2016 when SK Telecom took home their third Worlds title.

“As a sponsor of League of Legends Esports Global Events, the League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) and State Farm Arena itself, we’re extremely happy with the serendipity of Worlds 2022 being held in Atlanta. Our relationship with Riot and the gaming community has continued to evolve and LoLwas even featured in our recent State Farm Gamerhood Challenge. We’re looking forward to seeing the top teams and fans come together this Fall.” said Alyson Griffin, VP, Marketing at StateFarm®.

“We are honored that Atlanta now has this incredible opportunity to host the world’s biggest esports event”, said Todd Harris, Atlanta Esports Alliance Chair. “We look forward to working closely with Riot Games, our public and private partners, and our local community to create a remarkable experience for all involved.”

The 2022 League of Legends World Championship will kick off this Fall with the Play-In Stage in Mexico City, Mexico, followed by the Group Stage and Quarterfinals in New York City, Semifinals in Atlanta, and Finals in San Francisco. Information about dates, ticket sales, and other related information will be announced at a later date.