The digital imaginary of esports: A League of LegendsWorlds case study

Game studies has long been concerned with the ways economic value circulates both within and around games (Giddings, 2018). In this paper, the relationship games share with global flows of economic capital is viewed critically through the significance of esports mega-events, particularly the League of Legends (Riot Games, 2009) 2024 World Championship Final that took place in London. By combining a game studies approach of mapping out new terrains of economic value connected with digital play to a geopolitical perspective common in sports studies (Chadwick et al, 2023), this paper posits the significance of esports to cities and nation states as symbolic of a new digital imaginary.