League of Legends and Linkin Park Collaborate on “Heavy Is The Crown”
At the end of every year, League of Legends hosts its annual World Championship (Worlds). This year, the tournament will be hosted across three major European metropolises: Paris, London and Berlin. To inaugurate Worlds season, Riot Games partnered with American rock band Linkin Park to create the competition’s annual theme song. The official Worlds 2024 anthem, “Heavy Is The Crown,” was released on September 24.
“Heavy Is The Crown”
Cloaked in Linkin Park’s signature fusion of alternative rock and nu metal sound, “Heavy Is The Crown” is a high-energy, intense anthem full of heart. Whereas last year’s Worlds anthem, “GODS” by NewJeans, featured prominent orchestral musical production, listeners will immediately note this year’s starkly different genre. The song opens with a harmony cast faintly from a grainy turntable filter. Shortly after, the heavy rock track bursts into an arrangement of strings and dramatic percussion, creating a cinematic soundscape.
Mike Shinoda delivers hooking raps, seamlessly transitioning to smooth, melodic singing before exploding into a driving chorus. Central to the song is the chilling fry scream, performed in the bridge and leaving both first-time listeners and veteran Linkin Park fans astounded. “Heavy Is The Crown” reflects the weight of rising expectations and emotional turmoil. This year’s anthem serves as a poignant expression of facing the pressure of being a “legend” — as per the story of professional League of Legends player Faker. “The lyrics for ‘Heavy Is The Crown’ perfectly capture the narrative for this year’s Worlds and they are a powerful companion to the themes of our music video,” Maria Egan, Global Head of Music at Riot Games, said in a press statement.
The music video illustrates a lineup of professional e-sport teams dressed as designated Champions, fighting against one another for victory. Fans of League of Legends may recognize members of T1, Red Candids, Flyquest, GenG, BLG and G2 in the story. Combining 2D textures with 3D modeling, the music video’s animation and overall concept is reminiscent of the League of Legends series Arcane.
worlds 2024
The 2024 League of Legends World Championship starts on September 25. The highest-performing teams from nine regions will compete for the title of world champion in November. Reigning champions T1 will return for the competition alongside top competitors, including BLG and GenG. Last year’s World Championship became the most-watched e-sports event of all time — the bar is high for this year’s competition.
Curious about the Worlds 2023 anthem? Read about “GODS” by NewJeans here!
