FunPlus Esports has been appointed as the official tournament operator of the League of Legends SEA Tour (LST).
The tournament focuses on the Southeast Asian region and is the sole method of teams being able to qualify for global events such as the Mid-Season Invitational, Rift Rivals, and the World Championship.
The LoL SEA Tour includes Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia. The inaugural season of the competition was Summer 2018, replacing the Garena Premier League which kicked off in 2012.
Andy Zhong, Founder and CEO of FunPlus Esports discussed the news in a statement: “We are excited to partner with Riot Games and Garena to bring FunPlus Esports’ advanced broadcasting capability and vast tournament experience to League of Legends SEA Tour. LoL is one of the most iconic games of this generation, and we are proud to be able to contribute to the creation of a healthy esports ecosystem in Southeast Asia.”
The SEA Tour kicked off on March 2nd with ranked online qualifiers. National qualifiers are on the way starting March 13th, leading up to a national minors and a major event. The total prize pool for the tour throughout 2019 is $380,000 (£289,476.40).
Esports Insider says: The LoL SEA Tour is quite a unique competition and it’s for a good cause: ensuring a region gets a say in global events. The prize pool is also a great amount so all eyes on FunPlus to execute what has the potential to be a great event for LoL players and fans.