LoL Park is located near Jonggak Station, in the heart of Seoul, the Korean capital and the city most-visited by foreign tourists. As you enter a nondescript building near the station and take the escalator to the top, prepare to be greeted by adorably pixelated LoL champions on the long LED panels on the narrow ceiling. After a moment spent appreciating the artwork, the escalator will whisk you up to the entrance of LoL Park.

Once inside LoL Park, the first thing you¡¯ll see is the Riot PC Bang. Riot Games is the developer of LoL; a PC bang is a LAN gaming center, a distinctive part of Korean gaming culture. The dim space is faintly illuminated by a mysterious neon glow. There are a total of 101 seats available here, and all the equipment is optimized for gaming. The computers are all high-performance machines made by companies famous for their gaming computers, ensuring that games load quickly and graphics are smooth, much to gamers¡¯ satisfaction. The keyboards, mouses, chairs and tables are all suitable for gaming, too. A modest selection of beverages and snacks are sold here, keeping hunger at bay so you can focus on the game.

In front of the Riot PC Bang is the Riot Store, which sells LoL items. The products here run the gamut from elaborate figurines to cutesy dolls and cushions. There are also lines of stationery and novels set in the LoL universe, and on another side of the store, hats featuring popular LoL champions and items of clothing suitable for everyday wear. All the outfits can be tried on by interested shoppers. But if you¡¯re more interested in items featuring the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK), the league where Korea¡¯s best LoL teams compete, you¡¯ll want to head toward the arena. The separate LCK shop there displays keychains from popular players, as well as team uniforms.

LoL Park is worth a visit even when no special events are scheduled. But to make the most of your time here, consider visiting on game day. The LoL Park arena hosts LCK matches, but those aren¡¯t held every day. Be sure to check the LCK schedule before you come.

The logos and team uniforms of the 10 teams participating in the 2024 LCK are on display.

As the game draws closer, fans start showing up wearing their favorite players¡¯ uniforms. Fans visiting for the first time sometimes take selfies near a display of LCK team uniforms, a mural of famous players¡¯ faces and big statues of LoL champions. The competing teams typically set up event booths for fans about an hour before the match begins, and there are sometimes long lines of fans waiting their turn. The booths are a good chance to snag a beverage or some player-related swag.

Fans waiting for a match to begin can sit down in the rest area to make a cheering banner (known as ¡°cheerful¡± in Korean). LoL Park stocks paper and markers in different colors for fans who would like to make their own banner. Fans can often be seen hard at work on their banners since catchy ones are sometimes featured on livestreams of the match on YouTube or hung up inside LoL Park after the event. Seeing fans rooting for your favorite player can evoke an unexpected sense of affinity.

Even without reservations to attend LCK matches, spectators can watch the games in real-time on the large screen outside the LCK Arena.

Upon stepping inside the arena, you will spot the circular ring in the middle and three large screens suspended above it. The arena is brilliantly lit up by neon lights, and the ring is surrounded by tiered rows capable of holding 400 spectators. Each row in the audience is higher than the previous and the big screens face different directions so that everybody can enjoy an unobstructed view of the action.

Once you take your seat and the match begins, you¡¯re transported to a completely different world. The lighting shifts at each dramatic moment in the match, and the mood in the arena is heightened by the enthusiastic and incisive commentary by the shoutcasters. Since the audience is divided into team sections, the people around you are likely to be cheering for the same side. So you can expect a big stir in the audience whenever one of the teams shows off some impressive technique. The sound of everyone clapping or cheering together reinforces the sense that everyone is enjoying the moment together.

(Left) After the game ends, there is often a meeting where fans can interact with the players, have conversations and take photos together.  © Riot Games
(Right) Visitors can purchase various LoL merchandise at LoL Park, including clothing, figurines, electronic devices and more.

Your immersion in the match will be interspersed by the cheering banners that are occasionally shown on the screens and entertaining reactions from the athletes. But before you know it, the game will be over. As short as the game may be, spectators¡¯ experience at the LCK arena is hugely satisfactory both on a visual and auditory level. But even if you¡¯re not able to line up a ticket for the match, never fear. Outside the arena is a huge screen that¡¯s available for anybody to watch, and that does a pretty good job of replicating the vibe inside the arena.

Even after the match is over, LoL Park has one more card up its sleeve: fan meetings with the esports athletes. While the players can be seen inside the arena, spectators aren¡¯t allowed to get very close. For a better view of your favorite player, you¡¯ll need to attend one of the fan meetings. The meetings are announced by the companies that manage the team, so be sure to check with them if you¡¯re planning to visit LoL Park. With enough luck, you could have the chance of a lifetime to take a selfie and get an autograph with your favorite esports player.