5 things to see at the Riot Games esports and gaming lounge at Incheon Airport

Have a delayed flight or a long layover in South Korea? Then there’s something you can do to have a good time, especially if you’re a VALORANT or a League of Legends fan.

Riot Games, the developer behind the two games and other titles, has opened an esports and gaming lounge at Incheon Airport in South Korea — and it’s gone viral for good reason.

The Riot Games experience zone at Incheon Airport launched on 30 November, as first reported by Arirang News, but really went viral after content creator Gerald Lee (@CoreAGaming on Twitter) tweeted about it.

The lounge, first announced back in June 2022, makes Incheon the first-ever airport to provide passengers with esports and gaming for entertainment.

Passengers who want to explore the area will be given a Riot Boarding Pass. This will serve as a guide to maximise your time in the area. Once you complete missions from the boarding pass, you can scan the QR code for some prizes.

The lounge has different areas where players can enjoy a couple of games while waiting for their flight, but there are other activities for newcomers too.

Here are some of the interesting things at the Riot Games Esports and Gaming Lounge:

Life-sized Jett and Ahri models

Before you enter the lounge, you will be greeted by two life-sized models from Riot: Jett, VALORANT’s South Korean agent, and Ahri, the nine-tailed fox from Ionia based on the famous Korean mythological creature, the Gumiho.

We also know that League of Legends' Yuumi isn’t going to be deleted anytime soon, especially since there is a huge statue of the Magical Cat smack in the middle of the guest area.

There were also smaller action figures of Evelynn, Miss Fortune, Braum, Lux, and others on display.

Yuumi Photo Booth

Speaking of the most-hated buff cat in League of Legends, there's also a photo booth manned by none other than Yuumi herself.

We don’t think she’s going to be quite annoying here because you’re not going to be playing against her.

Instead, she’ll guide you to taking great shots. You will be getting a printout of the photo too, of course.

Mobile Zone

The Mobile Zone is pretty small, but there’s a space where anyone can play mobile games like League of Legends: Wild Rift or TeamFight Tactics.

In this area, there’s also an Augmented Reality (AR) screen where players can be seen slicing up objects falling from a Hextech-like contraption above the screen.

This mini-game reminds me of Halfbrick’s Fruit Ninja, but with a Riot twist, since the objects falling are Poro Coins, Teemo Shrooms, Gragas Barrels and more.

Art and Play Zones

This whole space screams art: with bold geometric lines and patterns and primary colours splashed on the walls and floors.

I’m honestly not sure what the symbols and the video on the screen mean, but what matters is that it’s a very pretty place and can be a perfect addition to your travel photos and social media posts.

Of course, the gaming lounge wouldn’t be complete if you can’t play any games.

The lounge has dedicated areas and computers for both League of Legends and VALORANT. Some assistants can even help set up a computer for you to use.

G2 Esports even joked on Twitter that North American teams don’t even have to worry about leaving the airport now.

Media Zone

There’s also a lounge area that you can use to play if you've brought your own laptop, and hang out with your friends while you wait for your next flight.

This also serves as the Media Zone, where Riot will eventually host esports watch parties for its competitive titles in the future.

"We wanted to make Incheon International Airport the [most] fun place in the world," said Kim Kyung-wook, CEO of the Incheon International airport, told Arirang News.

"We partnered up with the global gaming company Riot Games to open this arcade, and we hope our passengers come freely and enjoy this space," he added.

This isn’t the first time that the Incheon Airport has partnered with international brands to give passengers a more comfortable experience.

It has previously entered into deals with global fashion brands such as Gentle Monster and Louis Vuitton in January and May, respectively, in an effort to transform its duty-free zones into more diversified cultural places.

You can find the Gamer’s Lounge at the Incheon Airport Terminal 1’s duty-free zone near Gate 30.

Hopefully, this will make flight delays and long layovers more entertaining — just make sure you don’t get carried away and miss your flight.

Anna is a freelance writer and photographer. She is a gamer who loves RPGs and platformers, and is a League of Legends geek. She's also a food enthusiast who loves a good cup of black coffee.

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