Twitch Rivals returns today with yet another showcase of a multiplayer video game, in hopes to highlight its entertainment value and esports potential. This time the game of choice is Legends of Runeterra, Riot Games' collectible card game which was released two weeks ago. Sixteen streamers gather to fight over the lion's share of a $100,000 prize pool.

When & where

The Twitch Rivals Legends of Runeterra Showdown starts at 6 pm CEST / 9 am PST on both May 14 and May 15. The main broadcast will happen on the official Twitch Rivals channel, where the event will be tied together by the on-air talent team. Additionally, as is usual, you can follow the participators' perspective live on their own Twitch channels.

Who

The Twitch Rivals showcase has invited sixteen strategy game veterans to compete in the tournament. Well-known Hearthstone streamers and former pros David "dog" Caero and Brian Kibler pick up their swords again to show what they're made of. They'll find tough opposition, however. Other competitors include 2014 Hearthstone world champion and current Grandmaster James "Firebat" Kostesich, and card game swiss army knife Miguel "Mogwai" Guerrero, who has found success in multiple titles.

Another name to look out for is Mikuláš "Pokrovac" Dio. The former Hearthstone pro was the first player globally to hit the Master rank, the highest obtainable rank in the game. He expanded that achievement shortly after, by being the first player with a Master rank in two servers after achieving the rank on the North American server too. And yes, after that, he reached the rank on the Asian server too, cementing his title as king of the ladder.

The full list of participants in the Twitch Rivals Legends of Runeterra Showdown can be seen below:

Format

The tournament kicks off with three Swiss rounds. After the first round, in which the matchup pairings are random, contestants are pitched against players with the same record as they do. Once the three rounds of Swiss have concluded, the standings are cut in half. The top eight and the bottom eight then each play in their own Single Elimination bracket.

All players bring three decks. After they have banned one of the decks of their opponent they enter a Best of 3, played in a Conquest format. This means that, once a player has won with a certain deck, they cannot play with it again for the remainder of the series. To limit the duration of the tournament, Twitch has implemented a 50-minute timer on each match. If the match goes on beyond 50 minutes, each player is allowed to take three more turns before the match is terminated.

For more Legends of Runeterra content including guides, patch notes, and more, head over to our dedicated Legends of Runeterra section!