UPDATE, Apr. 18: KeSPA provided an update with regards to the regional qualifiers for Team Korea's League of Legends team, which was originally slated to take place on Apr. 22-23, at the Gwangju Esports Arena. KeSPA stated that the tryouts will still take place in Gwangju, but privately, and will focus on finalizing Team Korea's roster.

The initial plan was for the 10 candidates to be tested against the teams that arrived in Korea to participate in this year's Mid-Season Invitational, as a public, ticketed event for the fans to spectate and streamed on a number of platforms.

KeSPA provided a couple reasons behind their decision to walk back on the public exhibition. First, due to the strict COVID regulations in China, Chinese teams were unable to enter Korea. Second, due to the current COVID situation in Korea, it was difficult for foreign teams to spend more time in the country. Finally, if the tryout process was public, there would be immense pressure on the 10 candidates and the coaching staff, KeSPA said.

KeSPA lastly stated that the exhibition matches will take place after the final six players have been locked in. They've also confirmed that the roster will be selected by a committee of experts in both esports and in traditional sports, and that they'll make sure to submit the line-up to the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee by end of May/early June.

Original story:

On Apr 14., the Korea Esports Association (KeSPA) announced the 10 player candidates for Team Korea’s League of Legends roster for the 2022 Asian Games. The list is to be narrowed down to the final six players (five starters plus one substitute), and then joined by Team Korea’s head coach, Kim “kkOma” Jeong-gyun, currently the Athletic Director for DWG KIA.

According to KeSPA, players will be evaluated under eight different categories for the selection process, including:

• Match operation capability
• Team contribution
• Player potential & prospect
• International experience
• Sense of nationality & duty
• Individual achievement within the past three months/split
• Standings in the regional qualifiers
• Their level of contribution to Korean esports

The 2022 Asian Games will take place in Hangzhou, China, from Sept. 10-25. This year’s Asian Games will be the first of its kind where esports will count towards the medal tally. Arena of Valor, Dota 2, Dream Three Kingdoms 2, FIFA, Hearthstone, League of Legends, PUBG Mobile, and Street Fighter V are the eight esports titles featured. According to the Korean constitution, athletes in Team Korea that get the gold medal at AG 2022 will be exempt from compulsory military service.