Here is everything you need to know about the LoL Caster & Host Championship 2023, one of the most hyped and followed non-competitive events.
LoL Caster & Host Championship – the ultimate non-competitive showdown
China is known to be the region with the highest following when it comes to esports in general but also LoL in particular. The competitive scene is so big that even casters and host have their own tournament, the League of Legends Caster & Host Championship 2023 (2023英雄联盟解说主持杯 in Chinese).
It’s the fourth edition of the competition, after its introduction back in 2020. Just like the name suggests, the championship features Chinese casters and hosts from all competitive esports titles, including LPL, LDL, LCK(Mandarin), WRL.A (Wild Rift), and VCT China (VALORANT).
Format and Schedule
The tournament featured a total of 9 different teams, with two different phases: group stage and a Knockout stage. The competition runs from August 26 to September 16.
Group Stage
The group stage is a single round robin where all matches are Bo1. The best 4 teams would advance to knockouts. In case of tiebreaker, the order is broken by:
Games differential
Head-to-head results
Knockout Stage
The top 4 then play in a double-elimination bracket for the title. All matches are played in presence (offline) in Bo5 format.
Read more: All LoL teams qualified for Worlds 2023
Teams
Gaozi White Shield
Top: guaguale
Jungle: DJCanyon
Mid: Magao
ADC: R99
Support: Cbo
Gaozi Black Sword
Top: Doux
Jungle: JUN
Mid: Moonkie
ADC: Mao
Support: Kissing
WE Blue
Top: 957
Jungle: Guanbition
Mid: CF2
ADC: JackeyNan
Support:HWS
Shield Battery
Top: Mle
Jungle: wohaocai
Mid: Znight
ADC: mage
Support: weiko
San Cha Ji
Top: TheSong
Jungle: YuSan
Mid: TXQQ
ADC: san
Support: Missin
Doinb Best Gaming
Top: QinGoon
Jungle: Lele
Mid: Doinb
ADC: suzi
Support: ppgap
Golden Paper
Top: Letme
Jungle: Tian
Mid: Doby
ADC: Kzi
Support: PEi
WR Boys
Top: LastD
Jungle: ADING
Mid: NaiDI
ADC: Yiper
Support: Cat
V Men
Top: ZmjTT
Jungle: time
Mid: sebastian
ADC: J703
Support: Saki
While most people are not familiar with most nicknames, you probably know some of them if you follow the Chinese esports scene. The most straightforward one is none other than Doinb, who also happened to have dominated the entire group stage, going undefeated. In a competition where most players are not that strong, Doinb is able to make a huge difference.
Aside from him, though, there are other notorious people: 957 and Guanbition are known casters within the LPL and they have played together on WE Blue. Same for Letme, the former RNG player who played alongside Uzi and Xiaohu when the team won MSI in 2018.
There are also several female players in the competition, including mage, suzi, kinko, kris, Kzi, and PEi.
Finals Preview
After an intensive playoff bracket, WE Blue will face Doinb Best Gaming for the title. Among the two teams, DBG is definitely the favored one: Doinb and his squad are still undefeated in the entire competition and he can count on a solid roster. If WE Blue somehow even wins one game during the series, it would probably be a big victory for them.
How to watch the LoL Caster & Host Championship
The finals will take place on September 16 at 11 a.m. CET. To watch the final match, you can head over to any of the major Chinese streaming platforms, such as Douyu or Bilibili Gaming. Unfortunately, there won’t be an English broadcast, but it’s going to be a fun show match regardless, where you are going to see surprising picks and exciting gameplay.
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