“The road to Worlds this year was full of unexpected challenges, from our pivot to a single-city tournament to navigating team travel and quarantines,” John Needham, global head of esports at Riot Games, said. “We’re extremely proud that we succeeded in our promise to our players and fans to put on the safest and best show possible.”
It wasn’t just the official championship matches that brought in a record audience, as the Play-In rounds that began the competition also hit new viewership milestones, with nearly 161 million hours watched across 38 Play-In matches, a 62 percent increase year-over-year.
The 2021 League of Legends World Championships are expected to return to China, though no dates have been confirmed.
Photo courtesy of Riot Games