Hello Legends!
It is in front of 20,000 video game enthusiasts that the final of the "Worlds", the "League of Legend" world championships, was played on Sunday afternoon 2019.
The European G2 team was very largely supported by the French who attended the final among some 20,000 spectators.
League of legends An ultra-popular game
You had to be quick to hope to attend the final of League of Legend (known as LoL for fans) live from the AccordHotels Arena in Paris. The 20,000 or so seats sold for between 40 and 80 euros were snapped up in less than ten minutes; undeniable proof of the growing popularity of this game. And there is no doubt that more followed this confrontation on the internet. With 100 million active players, it is one of the most popular computer games in the world, just ahead of Counter-Strike and Fortnite. If online gaming attracts so much, it is certainly because it is free. "To get paid, the developers offer players to buy additional content, for example to personalize their digital avatar or to benefit from exclusive content," said BFM TV.
Many of these players, had bought league of legends smurf accounts to develop their skills and practice new strategies anonymously without risking their high level.
Professional sport
The company Riot Games, which publishes the game, has made LoL a must by being the first studio to create broadcasting rights for its competitions and to financially support the salaries of players, on the same model as what a league can do. closed in sports. In France, the law has governed the status of professional salaried video game players since 2016, recalls Le Parisien. So for the best European players, the salary can rise up to 400,000 euros per year in the case of a game like League of Legends. They follow sports training in order to acquire the mental strength and dexterity necessary for the practice of this e-sport. Now, real schools are surfing this business by offering training in marketing or events related to e-sport. This is particularly the case in Lille, in the Moulins district, where the XP Campus opened in September 2019.
Who are the players who compete?
From 2 p.m., two teams made up of 5 people did compete on the stage, behind computers arranged face to face. The G2 Europeans, whose team was founded by a Spaniard, did try to destroy the fortress (called "Nexus") of their opponents: the Chinese of Fun Plus Phoenix. The support of the French spectators towards the European team will probably raise the mood in the arena.
A free game that flirts with the world of luxury
If such a competition is also followed, it is partly because the organizers do not hesitate to make it prestigious. Friday, the first floor of the Eiffel Tower was thus reserved for the press conference presenting the "Worlds". The championship also benefits from a partnership with the luxury brand Louis Vuitton. It was she who designed the trophy which will be awarded to the winner at the end of the day. Also, for this final, the brand "dresses" the characters of the game.
Booming media coverage
E-sport is becoming more and more popular and is starting to be a hot topic in mainstream media. "For the first time, [France Televisions] will broadcast the competition live on France TV Sport platforms, with the support of the specialized company O’Gaming," explains Ouest France. The audiovisual group will also offer e-sports subjects in two of its sports programs.