Kia sponsors LoL e-sport world tourney for 5th straight year

For the fifth straight year, Kia Corp. is a sponsor at the e-sport tournament League of Legends (LoL) European Championship (LEC).

The tournament has expanded its scope to the Middle East and Africa, and coupled with Europe, the three markets are where Hyundai Motor Group is aggressively seeking to boost its market shares for new cars.
 
The LEC, which opened last month, is growing in scale thanks to its expanded range of regions as seen by its addition of a winter season to its spring and summer periods.

Kia also offers an "in-game drop" option to the viewing audience that can be used while they watch games during the LEC.

To raise fans closeness with the brand, a "mic check" video with pre-game appearances by players will be released. LoL is the world's most popular game with over 100 million players every month.

"Through our sponsorship of this tournament, we will engage esports fans and positively change our brand image," a Kia source said.

Write to Hyung-Kyu Kim at khk@hankyung.com