eSports: Riot Games launches new "Open Tour" competition on the League of Legends game

US publisher Riot Games has launched a new eSport competition, the "Open Tour", on its game League of Legends, indicated its French branch on 15/01/2018.

The competitive circuit succeeds the "Challenge France" (French Challenge). Players and teams will score points through the seven stages held online for qualifying. A final with the first ranking classifications will be organised in December 2018. The first four stages will take place in Lyon (from 16 to 18/02/2018), Poitiers (from 31/03 to 02/04/2018), Tours (from 19 to 21/05/2018) and Montpellier (02 and 03/06/2018). Two qualifying places to participate in a European tournament will be awarded each half-season.

"There were several options on the table, we evaluated the pros and cons for the game and community. A closed league would not have been enough of a challenge, there are not enough players, and the community was asking for something more open, which also allows us to do something more local, more anchored, like a tour de France," explained Damien Ricci, eSport manager of Riot Games to French newspaper Le Monde on…