Linkin Park Lead 2024’s ‘League of Legends’ World Championship

It was It's been a little over 10 years since Riot Games shared the first anthem for league of legends World Championship, Imagine Dragons' 2014 single “Warriors” marked the beginning of a decade of epic musical collaborations that culminated in league of legends“The greatest competitive moments. Now, that honor goes to another legendary group as Linkin Park’s new song, “Heavy Is the Crown,” becomes the soundtrack to one of the biggest esports events in the world.

Rumors of a possible collaboration between The league Linkin Park has been teasing fans of the game since earlier this month, when the band announced their return with a new album, From scratch, Which was met with a suspicious reaction from the LoL Esports social media account. However, hopes of a potential joint effort between Riot Games and the band date back to 2021, when Linkin Park co-founder Mike Shinoda was introduced — albeit a bit late — in the Netflix series’ first season premiere. league of legends series, mysteriousGiven Shinoda's passion for Riot's first-person shooter, ValorantMany had expected greater cooperation towards that border.

“[‘Heavy Is the Crown’] “This collaboration is one of the highlights of this new era for us, as we take our distinctive sound and inject it with new energy,” Shinoda said in a statement about the collaboration.

Linkin Park are currently preparing to tour for the first time in seven years following the tragic death of their beloved lead singer Chester Bennington in 2017. The band's newest chapter features new members, including drummer Colin Brittain, guitarist Alex Feder, and vocalist Emily Armstrong.

However, the band's return was not without controversy. Armstrong's appointment drew criticism for her association with the Church of Scientology and her public support of Danny Masterson during his 2021 rape trial. The singer responded by saying she had only attended one hearing and realized she “shouldn't have,” adding that she had “misjudged” Masterson and withdrawn her support. However, many felt betrayed by the band, including Bennington's mother and son, as Rolling Stone Exclusively reported.

Despite the ongoing conflict, the excitement The league Fans for the 2024 World Cup anthem continue to grow. The league Fans' faith in the band's talent, coupled with the strong wave of nostalgia their comeback brings, has many fans believing that “Heavy Is the Crown” could rival the popularity of previous anthems like 2017's “Legends Never Die” featuring Against the Current, and 2018's “RISE” featuring Glitch Mob and Mako and the Word Alive.

With each passing year, collaborations around the global anthem seem to surpass the high standards set the year before, attracting in-demand acts; it’s evolved from 2016’s “Ignite” featuring Zedd to 2022’s Lil Nas X, to last year’s “GODS” by Korean girl group NewJeans.

As the anthem seems to attract more stars each year, fans have had mixed feelings about whether the anthem truly reflects the grandeur of the event or whether it lacks it. Now that the Riot x Linkin Park collaboration is official, The league Fan expectations will be high for the 2024 World Cup anthem, but only time will tell whether they will be met or exceeded.

On Sunday, Linkin Park gave fans a surprise preview of the 2024 World Cup anthem when they performed “Heavy Is the Crown” live at their concert in Hamburg. The song, which features two raps by Shinoda and a powerful chorus by Armstrong, echoes the band’s classic sound from hits like “In the End” and “Faint,” with lyrics about “fighting until the sun comes up” and opponents waving “the white flag when war begins.”

Fans can officially hear “Heavy Is the Crown” starting September 24 at 8 a.m. PT when it officially drops, just in time for the tournament to begin. Following years of tradition — which has only been broken so far due to 2021’s COVID-19 pandemic restrictions — Linkin Park are rumored to perform the 2024 Words anthem live at the finals on November 2 at the O2 Arena in London, though no official announcement has been made yet.