Esports, short for electronic sports, is a form of competition using video games. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, individually or as teams.
Team Liquid is a multi-regional professional esports organization based in the Netherlands that was founded in 2000. With the release of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, Team Liquid signed their first professional players.
The League of Legends World Championship is the annual professional League of Legends world championship tournament hosted by Riot Games and is the culmination of each season. Teams compete for the champion title, the 44-pound (20-kilogram) Summoner's Cup, and a multi-million-dollar championship prize. In 2018, the final was watched by 99.6 million people, breaking 2017's final's viewer record. The tournament has been praised for its ceremonial performances, while receiving attention worldwide due to its dramatic and emotional nature.
The League Championship Series (LCS) is the top level of professional League of Legends in the United States and Canada. The esports league is run by Riot Games and has eight franchise teams. Each annual season of competition is divided into two splits, spring and summer, which conclude with a double-elimination tournament between the top teams. At the end of the season, the winner, runners-up and third-place team of the summer playoffs qualify for the annual League of Legends World Championship.
Lee Sang-hyeok, better known as Faker, is a South Korean professional League of Legends player for T1. He gained prominence after joining SK Telecom T1 in 2013, where he has since played as the team's mid laner. Often hailed as the "Michael Jordan of esports", Faker is widely regarded as the greatest League of Legends player in history. Throughout his career, he has secured a record of 10 League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) titles, two Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) titles, and a record four World Championship titles.
Cloud9 Esports, Inc., or simply Cloud9 (C9), is an American professional esports company based in Santa Monica, California. The company was originally founded as a professional League of Legends team by Jack and Paullie Etienne in May 2013 and was incorporated into Cloud9 Esports, Inc. on September 6, 2016. Cloud9 has received US$78 million in total raised equity via venture capital funding and was ranked the world's fifth-most valuable esports organization in mid-2022.
Søren Bjerg, better known as Bjergsen, is a Danish former professional League of Legends player. He previously played for Team Liquid, 100 Thieves and Team SoloMid, spending seven years as the starting mid laner for the latter, and one year as head coach for their League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) team from 2014-2021.
Edward Gaming (EDG) is a professional esports organization based in Shanghai, China.
Kurtis Lau Wai-kin, better known as Toyz, is a Hong Kong esports personality and YouTuber. He is a former professional League of Legends player, best known for winning the Season 2 World Championship as the mid laner for Taipei Assassins. Following his retirement in late 2015, he transitioned to several coaching and managerial roles for esports teams in Taiwan before switching focus to his YouTube channel.
The Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) is an annual League of Legends international tournament hosted by Riot Games in the middle of years, since 2015. It is the second most important international League of Legends tournament aside from the World Championship.
Yu Jingxi, better known by his in-game name Misaya, is a Chinese retired professional League of Legends player. He played as the mid laner for Team WE from March 2011 until his retirement in December 2013. Following his retirement he became a streamer and one of the most well-known public figures in China's League of Legends scene.
Jian Zihao, better known as Uzi, is a former Chinese professional League of Legends player. Uzi is renowned for his mechanical prowess on champions such as Vayne, Kai'Sa, Ezreal and Kog'Maw. He was well known as the franchise player for Royal Never Give Up and its predecessors, although he also played briefly for OMG and Newbee.
Team Vitality is a French esports organisation founded in August 2013 by Fabien Devide and Nicolas Maurer. It has several professional teams and content creators from across Europe and India.
Noh Yeong-Jin, better known as Gamsu, is a South Korean professional League of Legends player. He began his professional esports career with League of Legends, playing as a top laner for several teams, such as Fnatic, Team Dignitas, and Samsung Galaxy Blue. Noh transitioned to professional Overwatch in 2016, competing for CONBOX in the OGN APEX Series. With the inception of the Overwatch League in 2017, Noh signed with the Boston Uprising before being traded to the Shanghai Dragons a season later. After one season with the Dragons, Noh signed with the Dallas Fuel. In late 2020, Noh retired from competitive Overwatch to pursue a career in League of Legends again. He played on 100 Thieves' academy teams until he was signed with Dignitas in mid-2022.
Martin Nordahl Hansen, better known as Wunder, is a Danish professional League of Legends player. He began playing in the League of Legends European Championship (LEC) with Splyce in 2016. After two seasons with the team, he signed with G2 Esports. In his four years with the team, he won four consecutive LEC titles, was a five-time LEC All-Pro, won the 2019 Mid-Season Invitational, and was a finalist at the 2019 League of Legends World Championship. He was transferred to Fnatic prior to the start of the 2022 LEC season.
Jacky "Jake" Yip, better known as Stewie2K, is an American streamer and professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player. As a member of Cloud9, he became the first North American to win a Valve–sponsored major in CS:GO.
Victory Five was a Chinese professional esports organisation based in Shenzhen. It was owned by Mario Ho, head of Macau's esports association and son of the late Stanley Ho. It had teams competing in League of Legends and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds.
ThunderTalk Gaming is a professional League of Legends team competing in the League of Legends Pro League (LPL), the top level of professional League of Legends in China.
The League of Legends division of Cloud9 (C9) is a gaming team based in Los Angeles, California, and competes in the League Championship Series (LCS), the top-level professional league for video game League of Legends in the United States and Canada.
The 2019 League of Legends World Championship Final was a League of Legends (LoL) esports series between FunPlus Phoenix (FPX) and G2 Esports on 10 November 2019 at AccorHotels Arena in Paris, France. It marked the ninth final of a LoL World Championship and the first time either of the teams had reached the world finals. It was the first time FPX had reached Worlds. FPX were one of three Chinese representatives from the League of Legends Pro League at the 2019 Worlds, the others being Royal Never Give Up and Invictus Gaming, the victors of the previous Worlds. G2 Esports were one of three European representatives from the League of Legends European Championship alongside Fnatic and Splyce.
