In June, Riot Games announced substantial changes to the League of Legends esports ecosystem, beginning in 2025. It included moving the Mid-Season Invitational to July, which sparked rumors it might be a part of the Esports World Cup and held in the Middle East. However, Riot has debunked the rumor.

In an X post on July 11, Chris Greeley, global head of strategy for Leaguehttps://dotesports.com/league-of-legendsEsports, reassured fans MSI won’t take place in the Middle East. “MSI’s move to July was in the works before we were aware of the EWC. While the timing is certainly coincidental, I can say with certainty that MSI 2025 is not taking place anywhere in the Middle East (and it isn’t on the roadmap at this point for future years),” Greeley wrote.