Today, Riot Games announced global rising sensation NewJeans as the performing artist of the 2023 League of Legends World Championship anthem, “GODS.”
The song was written by Riot Games principal composer Sebastien Najand and Alex Seaver of Mako, whose co-writing credits include “Legends Never Die,” “RISE,” “Awaken,” and multiple songs on the Arcane soundtrack. Fans can watch “GODS” on YouTube or grab the track anywhere you listen to music at 10 pm PT October 3 / 2 pm KST October 4.
“The Worlds Anthem is the rallying cry for our community every year, and we’re so excited to partner with NewJeans to deliver this incredible moment,” said Carrie Dunn, Global Head of Creative, Esports at Riot Games. “Between Worlds taking place in Korea and NewJeans’ meteoric rise, this partnership felt fated as a true cultural celebration. ‘GODS’ juxtaposes epic and intense production elements with NewJeans’ beautiful and powerful vocals – conveying both the grind and the glory that awaits our players at Worlds.”
“It was a new experience for all of us,” said NewJeans. “It was fun to try a new genre and sound. Through this collaboration, we are happy to present a song that incorporates both NewJeans’ and League of Legends’ unique colors. We hope it brings you a new sense of empowerment!”
"We’re honored to be partnering with NewJeans for Worlds 2023 - both a historic breakthrough year for the group and momentous for esports fans as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of Worlds anthems,” said Maria Egan, Global Head of Music & Events at Riot Games Entertainment. “NewJeans joins the ranks of superstars such as Imagine Dragons, Zedd, and Lil Nas X who have helped make the anthem so iconic for our community.”
The 2023 Worlds Music Video will follow the story of Korean pro player Kim “Deft” Hyuk-kyu from his discovery of League in high school to his unbelievable run at Worlds 2022. This is not just the personal story of Deft and his unbreakable spirit, but the story of a team that overcame all odds to become World Champions.
“We don’t want to spoil too much of the music video, but expect to see familiar faces and unforgettable moments reimagined as we follow Deft’s story from its beginning in 2013 to his victorious World Championship last year,” Dunn said. “Allies becoming adversaries is a story all athletes can relate to, and we think ‘GODS’ will set the stage for what’s bound to be an incredible Worlds.”
The League of Legends World Championship, also known as Worlds, is the pinnacle of LoL Esports competition in which the top teams from nine regions compete for the world champion title. Held after the culmination of the regular season in a different host region each year, qualified teams from professional leagues around the world participate in the month-long tournament. Worlds is the most widely viewed and followed esport tournament, with Worlds 2021 generating an average minute audience (AMA) of 30M+, 73M+ peak concurrent users (PCU) and 1B+ hours watched. It’s among the largest and most popular gaming and sporting events in the world.
