Brace yourselves: The Winter Arena is coming!

DO you love League of Legends? Do you want a chance to play on stage in front of a live crowd? Amy Lau fills you in with all the details.

Photo courtesy of Oceanic Gaming

Riot Games and Oceanic Gaming are teaming up to host the Oceanic Gaming Winter Arena and Qualifiers from April 26- May 11. The OCG Winter Arena will consist of 16 teams – Eight university teams and eight Internet café teams across Australia and New Zealand.

These 16 teams will be selected through a qualifying round where any player of any skill level can enter. Players interested in signing up must be at least 17 years of age and are required too enter their details on a list of participating universities and Internet cafés.

Peter ‘Crucius’ Du, the Oceanic Community Programs Coordinator for Riot Games, said that the project would lift the profile of the League of Legends community.

“The aim of this project is to provide the community with more accessibility to our local competitive scene, bring exposure to local collegiate groups and encourage participation in Internet café events,” he said.

The OCG Winter Arena will award Riot Points to each qualifying team as well as a limited edition Triumphant Ryze skin to the top placing team.

Riot Points will be awarded as follows: 3200RP to first place, 2400RP for second place, 1600RP for third place and 800RP for fourth place.

Additionally, the Winter Arena and Qualifiers will give non-professional League of Legends players a chance to be seeded directly into the Winter Regional Round of Eight, to be held in June this year. The top two teams to emerge victorious from the Winter Arena will compete against veteran teams such as Team Immunity and Team Dignitas for a chance to win a share in the A$45,000 prize pool.

While the OCG Winter Arena is the first official tournament involving university teams, a dedicated collegiate program with regular tournaments is in the works said Peter Du.

Will you be signing up to the Winter Arena Qualifiers?