This month, League of Legends teams around the world will begin vying for supremacy on Summoner’s Rift in the sport’s 11th professional season. Established franchises and emerging organizations alike will embark on a journey to prove their supremacy, both within their respective regional leagues and on the world stage.

As League of Legends begins its next decade of growth, we’re excited for what’s to come in our emerging competitive scenes – including League of Legends: Wild Rift Esports.

“Like League PC, League of Legends: Wild Rift is wildly competitive, with the depth, complexity, and high stakes moments that make for a great sport,” said John Needham, Head of Global Esports at Riot Games, in the League of Legends Season Start/Opening Day livestream on Jan. 8. “While it’s still incredibly early, we’re excited to bring our passion and dedication for esports to mobile.”

In 2021, Riot Games will take the initial steps to build the Wild Rift Esports ecosystem. “While we continue to oversee a rollout of Wild Rift via Open Beta in numerous countries, we’re ready to establish a framework for players to compete at the highest level,” says Needham. “T​his will be the year we will experiment and learn, setting the foundations for the long-term success of the sport. You will see our first competitions come to life later in 2021.”

Regional plans already have begun to take shape. In late 2020, Riot Games Southeast Asia (SEA) announced its Wild Rift Esports competitive and collegiate plans for the region. In partnership with leading esports organizations throughout SEA, the season will kick off with several smaller, intermittent competitive events through March. In April, teams will transition to eight location-specific tournament circuits where they will compete for the title of local champion and a chance to later compete against other local champions from across Southeast Asia.

Stay tuned for more updates on formats, timing, and events.