November 11, 2019 |
League of Legends is the most-played PC game in the world – in September 2016 there were estimated to be over 100 million active players of the online multiplayer action-strategy game every month, the 2017 World Championship drew an audience of over 60 million unique viewers and LoL even has its own Wiki Fandom site. It’s fair to say that Riot Games’ acclaimed esports export is a phenomenon, which has been leading the way for the rapid growth of competitive video gaming since 2009. Esports are firmly on-trend and brands including Gucci, Moschino and most recently Burberry have all thrown their hat into the arena. Louis Vuitton is the next brand stepping up to the mark, teaming up with Riot Games on a pioneering collaboration for the 2019 League of Legends World Championship.
For the Finals Ceremony, which took place yesterday in Paris, the Maison created a bespoke trunk trophy travel case to house the notorious Summoner’s Cup. The Cup created in 2012 by top trophy creators Thomas Lyte in London, the designers behind the most world-famous IRL sporting trophies including the FA and Ryder cups, and is the most distinguished prize in esports realm. This year the Chinese team FunPlus Phoenix known as FPX took home the trophy in fantastical one-of-a-kind monogrammed case and the $2 million prize money, beating nine other teams and dominating their opponents G2 ESports (G2) in the final to win 3–0. The LV case took over 900 hours to create and melds the House’s traditional craftmanship seamlessly with state-of-the-art technology.
If the trunk wasn’t exciting enough, the French House and Riot Games have announced a capsule collection and champion skins designed by Louis Vuitton’s women’s artistic director Nicolas Ghesquière and more League of Legends digital assets. AD assassin Qiyana models the prestige skin, which includes the Dauphine bag and Laureate Desert boots. “The League of Legends World Championship is not only the climax of the tournament: it’s where the world of sports and entertainment come together in celebration of new legends to be born,” said Michael Burke, chairman and CEO of the legendary French house. “Louis Vuitton has long been associated with the world’s most coveted trophies, and here we are today, alongside the Summoner’s Cup. We are thrilled to be part of such an iconic event.” Its clear esports has come a long way from its Big Bang Theory stereotype and we’re game.
