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2021 League of Legends World Championship Final headed to China

By Matthew Liebl

China's Suning team (R) and South Korea's Damwon team attend the opening ceremony of the League of Legends World Video Game Championships Final at SAIC Pudong Football Stadium in Shanghai, on October 31, 2020. (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP) (Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images)
China's Suning team (R) and South Korea's Damwon team attend the opening ceremony of the League of Legends World Video Game Championships Final at SAIC Pudong Football Stadium in Shanghai, on October 31, 2020. (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP) (Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Shenzhen, China will serve as the host city for the 2021 League of Legends World Championship Final, capping off a multi-city season-ending tournament.

After a year in which eSports competitions were disrupted by the global pandemic and Worlds 2020 was forced to undergo a massive schedule change that resulted in the entire tournament being held in Shanghai, Riot Games is now gearing up for the 11th season of League of Legends eSports. And the first bit of news should bring excitement to everyone.

As part of 2021’s roadmap, Riot briefly touched on the upcoming season, announcing a return to a multi-city format. Beginning this month, more than 100 teams across a dozen regional leagues will battle for the opportunity to represent their regional leagues at the 2021 World Championship, which will be held in Shenzhen, China.

Riot called Shenzhen a “hub for technology and innovation,” which presumably played a major factor in the decision to host the biggest tournament of the year there. John Needham, Global Head of Esports at Riot Games, added:

"“After a year full of unexpected challenges, amazing competition, and major milestones for our sport, we’re looking forward to a season that should be even more thrilling. It’s only fitting that we return to China, home to our biggest league and tens of millions of longtime fans, to produce the world’s highest-caliber esports event in one of China’s most innovative cities.”"

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Beyond the fact that Shenzhen is a major tech hub, China is also one of the few countries that seemingly have COVID-19 under control — or at least manageable. It’s unclear if the Championship will allow spectators in the stands.

While Riot mentions a multi-city tournament, it’s unclear if that means multiple cities within China or across the globe. Specifically, will each region be hosting its own tournament? The 2020 League of Legends World Championship consisted of 114 games played in Shanghai over the span of five weeks.

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In addition to League of Legends, Riot will be hosting competitive tournaments — or at least laying the eSports groundwork — for some of its other games, including Legends of Runeterra, Teamfight Tactics and Wild Rift, in 2021.

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