That LEC and Valorant esports in Europe are merging together and congregating in one arena this year has been revealed before. But what does this mean for the fans and the fan experience? We got to talk to Sarah Borger of Riot Games to find out more about the upgraded facilities.
Riot Games is constantly thinking of ways to innovate and improve their esports ecosystem. The LEC has done an incredible job of elevating the standard for an esports broadcast and now it's time for the facilities to also get a facelift to reflect all the hard work and improvements that have taken place throughout the last few years.
With Valorant esports also gaining more and more traction, merging the local EMEA facilities was a no-brainer, but what do these changes mean for fans both at home and for those coming to the arena to watch their favorite esports players live?
New Riot Games Arena: Not Just In-Person Upgrades
So, you might be thinking, I'm sitting in France and won't be coming to the Riot Games Arena any time soon, so why should I care? Well, then you should know that thanks to the Arena upgrades, there will also be improvements planned for the LEC and Valorant broadcasts as well.
The LEC Winter Split is going to inaugurate the new arena. And while Riot might not have a huge opening ceremony planned a la World's opening ceremony, they are going to make sure to let the in-house fans, as well as those of you watching at home know what the new establishment has to offer.
We are very much planning on highlighting new areas and experiences throughout the broadcast. To both highlight the fans as they experience it, but also to bring the fans at home into the venue a little bit more.
What will truly make this an international venue is the fact that the new addition of three new dedicated broadcast language booths. Since the LEC, as well as Valorant esports, feature fans and players from all over the EMEA region, it's important to make these viewers feel included and having their favorite casters, as well as co-streamers at the studio will be a huge boost.
EMEA is a region with a lot of languages and a lot of phenomenal co-streamers, so we want to make sure that we are highlighting and utilizing those to their best effect.
Fan Experience Buffed At Riot Games Arena
Not only is the arena getting a brand-new setup, Riot is also going to add a bunch of new features that will make the experience for in-person viewers much better – minus the Baron... he had to go... for now. But Sarah Borger did say that the Baron is never gone for long and could always make a return, so there is hope.
Riot is dedicated to their various esports and want to highlight each one on the day of competition, which is why they've included flexible digital technology to be able to smoothly transition between Valorant and League of Legends, "we are fully equipped to do the 'switch flip' between each of our products." Not only will this include the aforementioned esports, but more in the future as well, as the Riot ecosystem grows.
The seating area has been upgraded as well, with the Riot Arena taking on an amphitheater-style seating which will also increase capacity by about 20%, while also bringing fans closer to their favorite players thanks to a brand-new player tunnel.
Worlds Coming Back To Berlin
With the technology behind these seamless changes between Valorant and League, Riot is also going to be able to seamlessly transition between different events as well. Just recently, it was revealed that the Riot Arena would host part of the 2024 League of Legends World Championship, which shows that the new technology can easily incorporate any Riot esports event.
We're very excited to have the Worlds team come and to be able to have this new space with all the updates we've put in. There is a lot of potential for very exciting and engrossing events in the new venue. The World's team always puts on a great show so it'll be a great combination.
The flexibility and adaptability between esports, not only for the known ones now, but also future endeavors was a key part when designing the new and improved arena and with it, we are going to be able to have some exciting esports competition on EMEA soil for everyone to enjoy. So, are you ready to see the best players EMEA has to offer in all its esports?