The highly anticipated League of Legends Worlds 2024 anthem, “Heavy Is The Crown” by Linkin Park finally dropped.
This collaboration between the legendary alternative rock band and Riot Games is a part of the latter’s annual tradition, with each Worlds anthem serving as a rallying cry for League of Legends esports fans.
Heavy Is The Crown breaks from the traditional format of previous Worlds anthem videos. Unlike past videos that solely focused on celebrating legendary players and teams, Linkin Park’s members are featured alongside T1, the reigning World Champions from 2023.
This artistic direction has led to a mixed reception among fans.
Linkin Park and League of Legends fans divided over Heavy Is The Crown music video
According to Riot Games, Heavy Is The Crown serves as a call for aspiring champions, encouraging them to strive for greatness and claim their crown. The music video pays homage to T1’s dominant victory over Weibo Gaming in the World Championship 2023 Finals, where they swept the LPL representatives 3-0.
The song showcases the powerful vocals of new band member Emily Armstrong alongside Mike Shinoda’s signature rapping.
For many long-time League of Legends players, especially those who came of age in the early 2000s, Linkin Park holds a special place in their hearts. Their collaboration with Riot Games is a dream come true.
However, some fans couldn’t help but draw comparisons between Heavy Is The Crown and their 2003 song Faint, suggesting a similar musical style.
Despite the comparisons, many fans, including figures like League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) play-by-play caster Clayton “CaptainFlowers” Raines, praise Heavy Is The Crown as one of the best Worlds anthems in recent years.
The Heavy Is The Crown music video also faces scrutiny from some fans. While many appreciate the animated portrayal of the band members, similar to Imagine Dragons’ appearance in Enemy, others felt that Linkin Park’s presence overshadowed the narrative of the players.
Some viewers even joked that the band might have won the previous World Championship based on their screen time.
The appearance of Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok in the music video is a highlight for many fans, as it celebrates his decade-long career and his status as one of the greatest League of Legends players of all time.
Faker’s portrayal of Azir in the music video sparks nostalgia and admiration. Once overshadowed by substitute SK Telecom T1 mid laner Lee “Easyhoon” Ji-hoon, Faker has now become a world-renowned Azir player. His mastery of the champion is finally celebrated in this visual tribute.
While many fans are captivated by the Unkillable Demon King’s appearance in the music video, some eagle-eyed viewers notice the presence of rookie players. Among them is Diego “Brance” Amaral, a Red Canids player who carries the team’s flag at the beginning.
Brance’s last Worlds appearance was in 2022 with LOUD, where they finished 19th to 20th. His inclusion in the Heavy Is The Crown music video surprises some fans, given that Red Canids didn’t qualify for this year’s tournament. This is something that Riot Games couldn’t have foreseen because production on such videos begin many months before, likely at the start of the year.
Heavy Is The Crown is featured in promotional materials for Worlds 2024 and is played throughout the competition. The song is also included in the soundtrack for the second season of the popular animated series Arcane.
Watch the full music video below:
