Worlds 2021 Europe

LoL World Championship 2021 will be Hosted in Europe instead of China

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Previously, according to a report by Upcomer, League of Legends developer Riot Games is preparing to announce the relocation of the League of Legends 2021 World Championship from China to Europe, making a return to the other side of the world that has not hosted the Worlds championship since 2019.

Now, it’s confirmed by Riot’s John Needham that Worlds 2021 will be moved to Europe. Although, there is no exact location so far.

According to sources close to Riot Games, the move was made because Riot had problems arranging travel for production teams to China, albeit the decision was made recently. League Championship Series teams competing for a place at Worlds were still attempting to obtain permits to enter China as of Friday, league sources said.

This is the second year in a row that Worlds will be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally, the 2021 competition was scheduled to take place in North America, but owing to the global problem, Riot decided last year to offer China the opportunity to host again with fans.

Originally, the League of Legends 2021 World Championship was intended to be a multi-city event in China, with tournament stages spread throughout Shanghai, Qingdao, Wuhan, Chengdu, and Shenzen, with the finals hosted in the latter city.

Worlds will return to Europe after a one-year hiatus. As of now, nine teams have qualified for the 2021 World Championship. DWG KIA, Gen.G, and T1 will take three of the four places representing League of Legends Champions Korea. Team Liquid, 100 Thieves, and Cloud9 will represent the LCS. The LEC’s three teams will be MAD Lions, Rogue, and Fnatic.

The last time Europe hosted Worlds was in 2019, when G2 was defeated in the grand finals by FunPlus Phoenix. This was the last international tournament to be held in front of a live audience.