Riot Games have confirmed that League of Legends World Championship 2020, dubbed Worlds 2020, will take place in Shanghai, China. Here, we take a look at the location, schedule, teams, format and more.
The most prestigious tournament in the MOBA game League of Legends is titled the World Championship. It is better known as the “Worlds” in the LoL circuit. Each year, top teams from various regions across the world battle it out to emerge victoriously and lift the trophy, dubbed the Summoner’s Cup.
Riot Games is now moving forward with their plans to host the World Championship 2020 in China.
When does the LOL Worlds 2020 begin?
The tournament is scheduled to begin on September 25. Worlds 2020 will continue for more than 30 days. On October 31, which also happens to be Halloween, a new LoL World Champion will be crowned.
The World Championship 2021 will also return to China. So, Riot Games has now pushed back the possibility of North America hosting the competition until 2021.
How will the League of Legends Worlds 2020 take place?
The Worlds 2020 is set to take place in the city of Shanghai, China. It has been planned this way to reduce the amount of travel to eliminate risks. Back in July, it was rumoured that Riot was adopting a Bubble, similar to the NBA restart.
The Play-in, knockout and main event stages of the competition are expected to be held online, to further reduce the risk of infection for both the staff and players. The finals will be held in the new Pudong Soccer stadium. It is a newly developed, state-of-the-art stadium, with a capacity of 33,000. If local guidelines permit, the finals will be played in front of an audience.
It appears Riot is working closely will local authorities to minimize hassle and risk of infections during this tour. However, Riot Games have confirmed they are working on the virtual fan experience.
News on the teams participating
The number of teams participating in the Worlds 2020 has been increased from 16 to 24. So, fans can look forward to more action beginning on September 25.
It is unclear when the teams will be arriving in China. They could be expected to arrive 2-weeks earlier, complying with local health guidelines.
