Riot Games and Coca-Cola bring Wild Rift Esports to the world

Earlier today, Riot Games and Coca-Cola announced a new multi-year partnership in regards to the Wild Rift Esports league. The new mobile game will begin its first competitive season in 2022. Longtime fans of League of Legends will remember that this isn’t the first time Coca-Cola has worked with Riot. During the 2014-2016 seasons of the League of Legends World Championship, Coca-Cola was a major sponsor.

“Coca-Cola helped launch what is now the biggest esports on the planet, League of Legends Esports, so I’m thrilled that they see the future in Wild Rift Esports as well,” said Leo Faria, Global Head of Wild Rift Esports, Riot Games. “This partnership will span across more than 100 countries, including the eight regional leagues that serve as the foundation for our sport.”

League of Legends: Wild Rift is the Riot Games mobile version of League of Legends. However, it’s not a direct port. Built from the ground up to be a mobile experience, the game has a couple of key differences. For one, it doesn’t have as many champions as the desktop game. Only 81 are available in Wild Rift at this time as compared to 150+ in the original League of Legends. A few game mechanics also had to change to make the game quicker and not as click-heavy.

Wild Rift Icons Global Championship is coming

The 2022 season will play out through 8 worldwide regions. Regional championship tournaments will decide who goes to the game’s first ever international tournament. The tournament, named the Wild Rift Icons Global Championship, will take place this summer. More details forthcoming in the weeks ahead.

“We’re thrilled to be working hand-in-hand with Coca-Cola to level up the experience of playing Wild Rift wherever you are in the world,” said Alan Moore, Executive Producer of League of Legends: Wild Rift. “Having their support as we continue to add new features and content to Wild Rift will unlock new possibilities in and out of the game.”

Coca-Cola and Riot Games aim to engage with the community and support the fan. The new partnership will offer custom rewards and experiences, including a weekly content series co-created by Riot and Coca-Cola. The first step is a new digital campaign from the partners entitled “It Must Be Real,” featuring scenes from from the game.

“We believe real magic exists at the point of human connection — both in the physical and digital worlds – when friends come together to enjoy an uplifting moment”, said Selman Careaga, Global President of Coca-Cola Trademark at The Coca-Cola Company. “We are looking forward to working closely with the team at Wild Rift to bring new content and experiences to more fans around the world in the coming months and years.”