Riot Games has unveiled that Shenzen, China will be the host city for League of Legends’ 2021 World Championship Finals.
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The coronavirus pandemic put a halt to Riot Games hosting a multi-city tournament last year, however, the publisher aims to do so for 2021’s iteration of Worlds. More host cities will be announced throughout the course of the year.
John Needham, Global Head of Esports at Riot Games, spoke on the news: “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-calibre esports event in one of China’s most innovative cities.”
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Alongside announcing its first host city for the 2021 World Championship, the publisher has unveiled initial details surrounding its League of Legends: Wild Rift esports structure.
Needham also spoke on creating a Wild Rift esports circuit: “While we continue to oversee a rollout of Wild Rift via Open Beta in numerous countries, we’re ready to establish a framework for players to compete at the highest level. This will be the year we will experiment and learn, setting the foundations for the long-term success of the sport. You will see our first competitions come to life later in 2021.”
The update follows on from Riot Games Southeast Asia already unveiling its competitive plans for the mobile game within Malaysia and Thailand. Tournaments, which will be hosted by ESL, are expected to take place in the regions sometime this year.
Esports Insider says: As one of China’s hubs for technology and innovation, Shenzen makes an ideal host city for the largest tournament in League of Legends. Mobile esports continues to grow and it comes as no surprise to see Riot Games also getting involved in creating a dedicated esports circuit for Wild Rift. It will certainly be interesting to see what the publisher can do to stand out in what is becoming a highly competitive market.