The League of Legends World Championship 2023, also known as Worlds 2023, is the biggest esports event of the year, and it kicked off with a spectacular opening ceremony on November 19 at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea.
The opening ceremony featured amazing performances from NewJeans and HEARTSTEEL, a virtual music group created by Riot Games, the developer of League of Legends.
HEARTSTEEL is a six-member boy group that debuted in 2023 with the song “PARANOIA”, which showcases their dark and edgy concept. The group consists of six League of Legends champions: Ezreal, Kayn, Aphelios, Yone, K’Sante, and Sett, who are voiced by EXO’s Baekhyun, Cal Scruby, ØZI, tobi lou, and two other artists respectively.
NewJeans is a five-member South Korean girl group under ADOR and HYBE Labels. Members Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein debuted on August 1, 2022, with their self-titled mini album. They performed "GODS", the anthem of the 2023 Worlds League of Legends at the opening ceremony.
The opening ceremony started with HEARTSTEEL’s performance of “PARANOIA”, which featured live vocals from four of the group’s members and impressive augmented reality effects. Cal Scruby, who voices Kayn, opened the show with a rap verse while wielding a huge scythe prop.
He was followed by Baekhyun, who voices Ezreal, who sang in a sleek black outfit and was accompanied by a holographic projection of his character. Baekhyun, who is a member of the mega-popular South Korean boy band EXO and SuperM, showed off his powerful vocals and charisma, and received loud cheers from the fans.
ØZI, who voices Sett, delivered a powerful rap verse while channeling the champion’s charisma and strength. tobi lou, who voices K’Sante, sang the bridge of the song with his smooth vocals and was joined by the other three members on stage.
The performance reached its climax when the giant LED screen behind them shattered, revealing the AR versions of all six members of HEARTSTEEL, who sang and danced in sync with the live artists.
The opening ceremony continued with NewJeans’ performance of “GODS”, the official anthem of Worlds 2023. The song is a collaboration between NewJeans and League of Legends pro players Faker, Uzi, Caps, and Perkz, who are featured in the music video. The performance featured a dazzling display of lights, fireworks, and pyrotechnics, as well as the AR versions of NewJeans and the pro players.
The four singers of NewJeans also appeared on stage, wearing outfits that matched their characters. The performance ended with a loud cheer from the crowd, who were hyped for the upcoming finals between T1 and Weibo Gaming.
The opening ceremony was a spectacular showcase of Riot Games’ creativity and innovation, as well as their dedication to creating immersive and engaging experiences for their fans.
The performances of NewJeans and HEARTSTEEL were widely praised by both League of Legends players and music lovers, who expressed their admiration and support for the virtual groups on social media.
Among the celebrities who attended the opening ceremony, Chinese actor Luo Yunxi, who is also the Chinese cultural spokesperson for the League of the Legends, attracted attention with his handsome appearance and stylish outfit.
Luo Yunxi, who is known for his roles in Ashes of Love, Love Is Sweet, and Till The End Of The Moon, is a long-time fan of esports and has been following the League of Legends World Championship for years. He said that he was honored and excited to witness the growth of sports and to cheer for his favourite players.
In a different context, the fans of both Baekhyun and Luo Yunxi were thrilled to know that their beloved artists would be attending the same event. They eagerly hoped for an interaction between the two stars during the ceremony.
The opening ceremony also set the tone for the thrilling finals match, which saw T1 defeat Weibo Gaming 3-1 and claim their fourth World Championship title.
Watch the performance here:
The KTruth