Riot Games Unveils LINKIN PARK as 2024 Worlds Anthem Creators

Riot Games has officially announced that Linkin Park will perform the 2024 Worlds Anthem, "Heavy Is The Crown." Fans can watch the music video on YouTube or stream the song on any music platform starting Tuesday, September 24, at 8:00 AM PT.

“Heavy Is The Crown” comes after Linkin Park's #1 hit “The Emptiness Machine,” their first new music in seven years. That song quickly rose to the top of the charts with over 80 million streams, and the band kicked off a 6-date arena tour. From Zero, their 8th studio album, will be released on November 15 through Warner Records.

“It’s been an amazing experience partnering with Riot to bring this anthem to the global League of Legends community. The song is a real highlight of this new era for us, harnessing our signature sound and infusing it with fresh energy. We’re so excited for players and fans to experience this!” said Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda.

You can watch "The Emptiness Machine" official MV here:

Maria Egan, Global Head of Music at Riot Games also shared that the 2024 Worlds anthem is a highly anticipated moment for League of Legends players each year and has become an important part of global music. The developer is excited to partner with Linkin Park for this year’s anthem as they begin this new chapter. The lyrics of ‘Heavy Is The Crown’ beautifully reflect the story for this year’s Worlds and enhance the themes in our music video.

Billboard describes Linkin Park’s return as “triumphant,” joining previous Worlds Anthem performers like Imagine Dragons, Lil Nas X, Zedd, and NewJeans. These anthems have collectively earned over 10 billion streams across various platforms. Recently, NewJeans’ 2023 Worlds anthem “GODS” set a record for the biggest debut in anthem history, with nearly 270 million streams and almost 100 million views on the League of Legends YouTube channel.

The League of Legends World Championship, or Worlds, is the ultimate competition in LoL esports, where the top teams from nine regions compete for the world champion title. Held after the regular season, Worlds is hosted in a different region annually. Professional leagues worldwide send their qualified teams to participate in this three-month tournament.