Gocheok Dome heats up for Rold Cup finals…worldwide eSports fans gather.

(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Joo-hwan = On the 19th, when the League of Legends (LoL) World Championship final returned to Korea after 5 years, Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul, was filled with e-sports fans from all over the world.

At the Cloud Bridge next to the Gocheok Dome, there were long lines at the official merchandise booths and photo zones of Riot Games, and fans wearing ‘Teemo’ hats, a character from LoL, could be found everywhere in the square in front of the stadium.

This is the first time in 5 years that the World Cup has been held in Korea since the 2018 tournament, and the first time in 9 years that the final has been held in Seoul.

Kim Ji-kyung (30), who came to the stadium with her husband wearing T1 uniforms, said, “I’m a fan of ‘Faker’ Lee Sang-hyuk and ‘Keria’ Ryu Min-seok. I hope we win decisively with a score of 3:0 or 3:1,” she said with a smile.

eSports fan Jang Ji-won (19), who came to the stadium from Daejeon, said, “I managed to get a ticket before the college entrance exam and came to watch the game. It’s fun because there are a lot of people. I’m usually a fan of another team, but since T1 is the only team left representing the Korean league LCK, I want to support T1 today.”

There were also several WeiBo Gaming fans who came all the way from China to Korea for ‘away support’.

Wang Xiaxia (30) from Beijing, said, “I’m a fan of captain ‘TheShy’ Kang Seung-rok. I hope TheShy wins again after the 2018 World Cup,” and cautiously predicted, “I expect WeiBo to win 3:2 today.”

Not only the final venue Gocheok Dome, but various events are also being held throughout Seoul to celebrate the World Cup.

The final game is broadcast live on a large screen at Gwanghwamun Square, and the ‘Game Showbox’, where you can experience the game content of small and medium-sized game companies supported by Seoul City, including Seoul Game Content Center, is also in operation.

Security personnel and police forces were deployed in various parts of the stadium to prevent safety accidents due to crowd congestion.

The World Cup, held every November, is the most prestigious international club competition in LoL and the largest e-sports event in the world in terms of audience size.

T1 from the LCK and WeiBo Gaming from the Chinese league LPL will clash for the top team spot in the world in the final starting at 5 pm today.

T1, the world’s most winning team with World Cup wins in 2013, 2015, and 2016, is aiming for its 4th overall victory.

jujuk@yna.co.kr