Los Angeles – Razer, the leading lifestyle brand for gamers and a pioneering supporter of competitive gaming, and SK Telecom T1 (SKT), the Korean-based esports powerhouse, celebrated the team’s first place win and a $2 million prize at the 6th Annual League of Legends World Championship this past weekend.
The matches took place in front of a sold-out crowd at Staples Center with tens of millions more viewing online across the globe. SKT defeated Samsung Galaxy 3 games to 2 to win the Series finale, becoming the first defending champions to successfully defend their title. SKT has now won three world finals in four years.
“Without question, this was the most important esports event held in the United States so far for League of Legends,” says Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok. “The fans, the production, the games and overall experience exceeded our expectations. To play at the highest level in front of so many people is amazing, a defining moment for SKT, Team Razer and fans.”
“SKT reeled off one of the most impressive runs by a competitive team in any sport, and they show no signs of slowing down,” says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder and CEO. “The talent and the preparation that each player possesses is incredible. SKT is a big reason why millions and millions of fans in the United States and elsewhere are tuning in to watch. This is truly a global phenomenon.”
Team Razer squads have now won four of the six League of Legends World Championships. The annual finals are regularly the most-watched esports event of the year and have outpaced viewership in many traditional sports championships, including the NBA Finals and MLB World Series. Razer was the first company to sponsor a professional gamer in 2000 when it sponsored Jonathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel with the Razer Boomslang, the world’s first gaming mouse that helped shape the 10-figure gaming peripheral industry. Today, Razer sponsors 20 teams and 180 competitive players worldwide.
