Up until the 2020 Worlds Finals, the entire event is being held in a sort of "bubble" similar to how professional sports are operating around the globe. All players and staff are located in one area, and there is minimal interaction with the public beyond those participating in Worlds. All games are played in a closed stage, confined from any audience or outside interaction.
The Finals are different, however, and will take place in the brand new Pudong Football Stadium and feature both a live audience and a KDA performance, including the new champion, Seraphine. The stadium is finalizing its construction, and the Worlds Finals will christen the arena. In a press conference leading up to Worlds, Riot announced that they'd attempt to host guests for the big title match, and later in the tournament, they confirmed that they'd invite just over 6,000 guests to attend the grand finale.
Riot did not put the tickets up for sale, instead, they issued a draw to fans that passed certain qualifications, including needing a Chinese ID and an official account on the Chinese League of Legends client through LPL.QQ.COM, among other things. Within just the first four hours of the signups going live, Riot had already received a million applications. By the conclusion of the signup period, Riot had triple the applicants, with over 3,200,000.
Once Riot has selected the lucky winners, only 0.002% of the applicants will receive an invitation to the event. Riot ensures that they'll follow all health protocols to ensure the safety of all the players, staff, and attendees, including a health check-up at the gate.
The 2019 Finals had a 20,000 person capacity, and the 2018 Finals held 50,000. While this is a clear step down, Riot's inclusion of a live audience to celebrate both a new stadium and the tenth season of professional League of Legends is a major victory, especially following a year and tournament otherwise void of chants and chatter. Those lucky 0.002% of applicants will be much appreciated.
All images via: Riot Games
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- Parkes Ousley
- Email : parkes@invenglobal.com
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