Riot Officially Reveals Shanghai For Worlds 2020 Finals
Photo courtesy of Riot Games
With the 2019 League of Legends season in the books, Riot’s not wasting any time getting people excited about 2020. While we’ve known that China will play host to the World Championship next year, we now know which cities will be involved.
First of all, there will be a lot more travel involved. Riot will be visiting six cities during the championships. That said, the event will feature the same number of teams and be played over roughly the same time frame. Shanghai Stadium will play host to the grand finals, a venue that seats roughly 56,000 people. Utilizing a new stage configuration, Riot hopes to break their record for most live viewers by packing over 50,000 fans into the arena.
Next year is a big year for Riot, as it’ll mark the 10 year anniversary of competitive League of Legends. They’ve already said they plan on going all out to make it their biggest year ever, blending competition with fandom. The plan is to make this more than an esports tournament. They want this to be a cultural moment that leaves a lasting mark in esport history.
Our thoughts: While I’m not excited at the prospect of waking up for 2 AM matches again, it’s hard to deny what a big opportunity this is for Riot. China will be looking to three-peat and establish a dynasty on home soil. That fan base will be rabid. I would expect 2020 to be the most competitive year worldwide that we’ve ever seen, and it should culminate in a massive event next October.
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