The League of Legends world championship typically features city-to-city tours in its host country across various stages of the tournament. This year, however, Riot has announced that Worlds 2020 will entirely be organized in the city of Shanghai, China. This move is taken as a precautionary measure against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.The tournament is set to begin from September 25th and will conclude on October 31st.
“Hosting the event in a single city will reduce travel throughout the tournament and give us the ability to more closely control the show environment,” Riot Games mentions in their website. We continue to use the guidance from various health organizations and local and national authorities to prioritize safety for our players, fans, and everyone involved with bringing Worlds 2020 to life.”
The finals of the tournament will be held at the Pudong Soccer Stadium in Shanghai.
Riot has also mentioned that they’re planning to do the tournament in front of an audience, but only if the local authorities allow them to proceed with an audience. However, Riot has also confirmed that the early stages of Worlds 2020 will not be played in front of a live audience, and will focus on digital viewership through streaming platforms like Twitch.
Riot has stated in their website that the 2021 Worlds tournament will also take place in China, but with a multi-city tour, “bringing the live sporting experience to fans across the country as originally intended.” Worlds 2022 is set to be hosted in North America.
