The final moments of the opening ceremonies for the 2022 League of Legends World Championship featured star performer Lil Nas X seemingly lifted into the air by the hand of a giant mech while a championship trophy floated around him. It was an impressive display of artistic vision and technical expertise — and it’s also the reason Carrie Dunn, creative director for Riot esports, has been a little stressed of late. “Any time you hoist a cultural superstar in the air for your finale,” she says, “there’s anxiety in that.”
Riot teamed Lil Nas X up with a holographic mech for 2022’s Worlds opening ceremony
Worlds is the highlight of League‘s competitive calendar, with the finals pitting two teams against each other who have worked all year for a chance at the trophy. This year’s edition featured the return of the legendary Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok — known by the incredible nickname the “unkillable demon king” — and his team T1 facing off against fellow Korean side DRX. But as appealing as the actual games are, often, the opening ceremony steals the show.
in the past, League developer Riot has employed holograms and augmented reality for its live events. Over the last few years, with covid-related restrictions in place, the team has had to get a little more creative. 2020 featured a mixed reality stage to make the crowd-free competition feel more exciting, while last year eschewed a live show altogether for a gigantic music video tied to the release of Arcane on Netflix.
This year, with the promise of a return to a packed
