09/26/2023 07:04 pm EDT
League of Legends’ World Championship tournaments typically get the superstar treatment when it comes to who performs the annual Worlds anthem that changes every year, and 2023 will be no different with the K-pop group NewJeans lending their talents to this year’s song. It’s called “GODS,” and while we haven’t heard the anthem just yet, that’ll change on October 3rd whenever the track and its music video are released. Worlds 2023 itself will officially get underway starting on October 10th once the Play-In Stage begins, so expect to hear that song plenty from then until the end of the tournament if you plan on watching the League event.
Even if you’re not planning on watching it, there’s still a very good chance you’ll hear GODS one way or another. Aside from NewJeans being a hugely famous group with chart-topping hits, League’s music has a way of appealing even to non-League players be it the K/DA song “POP/STARS” featuring Madison Beer, (G)I-DLE, and Jaira Burns or “STAR WALKIN'” from Lil Nas X. Considering the League’s track record and NewJeans’ popularity, it’s likely this new anthem will find similar successes.
NewJeans, “GODS,” and League of Legends
The “GODS” anthem is scheduled to make its debut on October 3rd at 10 p.m. PT, Riot Games announced on Tuesday. Once it’s live, you’ll be able to watch the music video on YouTube and will be able to listen to the song through the usual platforms. “GODS” is written by Riot’s principal composer Sebastien Najand and Alex Seaver of Mako, the latter being an artist with credits on other League songs like the Worlds 2018 anthem “RISE” as well as tracks from the League TV show Arcane.
In a prepared statement shared by Riot alongside the announcement, NewJeans said the group is looking to “present a song that incorporates both NewJeans’ and League of Legends‘ unique colors,” so we’ll see on October 3rd what a song that intertwines NewJeans and League sounds like.
Like other League anthems, this one will also tell a story best illustrated through the music video that’ll accompany it. While past anthems have centered on specific teams, the esports scene overall, or players like Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, this one will feature the story of Kim “Deft” Hyuk-kyu, the bot laner for Dplus KIA (formerly called DAMWON Gaming and DWG KIA).
“We don’t want to spoil too much of the music video, but expect to see familiar faces and unforgettable moments reimagined as we follow Deft’s story from its beginning in 2013 to his victorious World Championship last year,” said Carrie Dunn, the global head of creative at Riot’s esports division. “Allies becoming adversaries is a story all athletes can relate to, and we think ‘GODS’ will set the stage for what’s bound to be an incredible Worlds.”
How to Watch the League of Legends World Championship 2023
Once NewJeans’ new “GODS” song has gotten you hooked on League, you can tune into the World Championship event starting on October 10th when the Play-In Stage starts. From there, matches will continue on until the Swiss Stage which starts on October 19th and the Knockout Stage starting on November 2nd until the World Finals match is played on November 19th. You’ll be able to watch it through the LoL Esports site where you can pick between a YouTube or Twitch stream, but if you’ve got a favorite League player aside from the pros playing in the event, there’s a good chance you can find a co-stream somewhere with some commentray as well.
Worlds 2023 is taking place in South Korea which is great news for anyone planning to make the big trip over there, but unfortunately for those staying home to watch in the West, that means that the games won’t exactly be airing at ideal times. Most matches start at 12 a.m. PT with the exception of a few noted here, though early birds may be able to catch some of the ends of the best-of-three or best-of-five matchups. Replays will of course be preserved after the fact for those who want to watch the games that way instead.
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