2022 League of Legends World Championship Finals
11.08.22
Team IVC
2022 League of Legends World Championship Finals
An experience in a league of its own.
Our internal gaming experts recently attended Riot Games’ sold-out 12th League of Legends (LoL) World Championship Finals held at the Chase Center in San Francisco…and the experience did not disappoint. Over 20,000 fans in attendance (and a record-breaking 5.1M total viewers) watched as two competitive teams—underdog DRX and T1, a multi-champion winner in 2013, 2015 and 2016—battled it out in a best-of-5 multiplayer online tournament to win the coveted champion title and $500K prize money.
This year, LoL wanted to create an experience that would work both for those in the audience and fans watching at home, especially after having fully returned to in-person. To achieve this massive undertaking, they combined multiple innovative technologies, including a massive jumbotron-style display and a circular stage covered with thousands of LED tiles to show off the impressive larger-than-life holograms that appeared during the show.
From the start, our team felt like we were transported from the realities of our comparatively unremarkable world into the fantastical world of Summoner’s Rift. We were impressed with how immersive it felt despite being only a few among thousands of die-hard, enthusiastic fans seated in the arena. Check out a few of the highlights below. WARNING: you may experience deep FOMO should you continue.
The fans
LoL is basically the Superbowl of e-sports and it wouldn’t be a championship game if fans couldn’t cheer for their favorite team or show their LoL spirit. While some fans cosplayed as their favorite hero, others brought personalized posters to root for their team of choice. Forgot your poster? No fret because you were offered colored flags to rep your team, as well as boomwhackers to loudly (and proudly) cheer them on during gameplay in the arena. And of course, many visited the merch booth for branded Worlds 2022 gear and collectibles.
The opening ceremony
The highly-anticipated 12-minute opening ceremony featured three acclaimed performers dressed as their favorite hero in the game, including headliner rapper Lil Nas X who composed this year’s theme song for the LoL Championship finals, and former popular K-pop boy band lead singer Jackson Wang who performed “Fire to the Fuse” off his League of Legends track.
To add fire to the flame, the performances were creatively infused with technology that enhanced the impressive spectacle. Throughout the show, it appeared that the artists and dancers were interacting with the animated graphics on the floor and the holograms projected off the scrims. The opening ceremony ended with the dramatic entrance of both teams and Lil Nas X seemingly lifted into the air by the hand of a giant mech while a championship trophy floated above him.
Let the games begin
While at a sporting event, overzealous fans will interact with each other or with others like mascots or cheerleaders to feel like they are a part of the game. It wasn’t any different at LoL except that fans were given pix mob bracelets, LED light-up wristbands, to engage the audience during gameplay. When a team would get buffs, advantages or win a game, the bracelets would turn the color of that team—T1 would turn red and DRX would turn blue. The pix mob bracelets also worked in a strobe effect where they were set off at random intervals, creating a starry night kind of feel to the event when the lights were down. These moments helped pull the audience into the event, making them a part of something special.
After an intense and exciting five battle rounds, there could only be one winner at the end. And although it looked at first that T1 was going to be the victor after easily taking Game 1, DRX remained strong to the end and won the final battle, earning the underdog team the championship title and the newly designed version of the iconic Summoner’s Cup, created by Tiffany & Co. The entire arena glowed blue as the champions celebrated their victory.
League of Legends Championship 2022 was truly an amazing, spectacular experience that did not hold back on the entertainment or the surprises. It’s every experiential marketer’s dream to pull off a show that is clever in its creative use of blending technology and people. And not only did they achieve the awe-insiring experience from an in-person perspective, but they managed to make it work well for those watching from the comfort of their home too. Now the only question that remains is…how are they going to top 2023?
At InVision, our Digital and Innovation team stay on top of the latest trends and innovative technologies that enhance audience engagement and make a powerful impact. If you’re interested in learning more about how you can integrate purposeful technology into your next program, we invite you to inquire about our Innovation Workshop, where you and your team can learn and experience the latest event technologies of today. Contact your Account Director or email us at info@iv.com for details.