David Higdon Profile picture
Global Head of Communications, Esports @RiotGames @LOLesports @VALORANTesports @WildRiftEsports et al
Sep 25, 2020 7 tweets 5 min read
For #Worlds2020, the @lolesports team is leaning into our digital strengths to produce an epic show in true @LeagueOfLegends #Esports style.
Today was Day One.... ✅
A thread… 1/7 Fans who’ve watched Worlds in past years know we put on a show. Our stage productions have actually pioneered in live mixed-reality performances, blending AR & holograms in inventive ways where it’s hard to see where reality stops & magic begins. This year is no different. 2/7
Sep 15, 2020 5 tweets 2 min read
UPDATE: We are making some changes to our roster rules to account for the unique challenges posed this year for #Worlds2020. Typically the roster lock date for Worlds takes place in mid-September, and teams can adjust their rosters freely up until that point. Thread 1/ This year, this process is significantly complicated by the stricter travel restrictions in place from COVID-19. All travelers to China must have a valid visa prior to traveling, and these applications were processed over a month ago. 2/
Sep 14, 2020 4 tweets 3 min read
NEWS: #Worlds2020
✅ New Prize Pool allocation
✅ Venue: Shanghai Media Tech Studio (Finals in Pudong Football Stadium)
✅ Broadcast Sked
✅ 22 Teams 👇
✅ 12 Leagues
Time to #TakeOver!
Thread... Image Over the past few years, the World Champion skins have performed better and better, leading to a much larger gap in prizing between first and second place. To create a more equitable structure, the first-place prize will be reduced and allocated to the other finishers 👇 Image
Aug 3, 2020 6 tweets 4 min read
NEWS: We have formed a strategic partnership with @bilibili_en granting them exclusive broadcasting rights for @lolesports content in China beginning at #Worlds2020 through at least MSI 2023. Some recent coverage on Bilibili, perspective on the partnership, and more in thread... Image China’s Streamer Bilibili Aims to Embrace a Wider Audience Without Alienating Its Fans variety.com/2020/digital/f… via @Variety
Apr 28, 2020 13 tweets 11 min read
Apr 14, 2020 9 tweets 7 min read
The @FPX_Esports World Championship Team Skins are NOW on PBE (Public Beta Environment). The players picked their champions to be immortalized on @LeagueOfLegends: Gangplank, Lee Sin, Malphite, Vayne and Thresh. #FPX #FPXLOL
1/ Thread w/previous Worlds Team Skins 👇 Image We retroactively produced skins for @FNATIC, winners of the first-ever @LeagueOfLegends World Championship in 2011 held in a conference room at Dreamhack Summer in Sweden. The @LEC teamline of skins featured Karthus, Jarvan IV, Gragas, Corki, and Janna
2/ Image
Apr 13, 2020 5 tweets 5 min read
NEWS: Teamfight Tactics: Galaxies Championship will be held later this year, featuring 16 players who earn a spot from eight regional qualifiers selecting the best @TFT players from North America, China, Europe, Brazil, South Korea, and Latin America. #TFTGalaxies
Thread 1/5 Image .@TFT has been played by 80 million+ players globally. We’ve held three #esports events & our most recent one had nearly TRIPLE the viewership of previous ones. If @TFT was a standalone game, it would be one of the top games in Korea, so let’s review Korea’s regional plan 👇 2/5 Image
Mar 27, 2020 5 tweets 2 min read
.@riot Games Keeps @LeagueOfLegends #Esports Rolling With Fully Cloud-Based Virtualized Production Workflow @lolesports
sportsvideo.org/2020/03/27/rio… “We are truly replicating the control room — from front bench on — so that crew members are home participating just as they did before. We’re not trying to change the show and we understand that this is not the time to force new workflows on [the production team].”
Mar 14, 2020 8 tweets 10 min read
On Thurs-Fri, we produced the first-ever @TFTGalaxies Showcase: a two-day #esports event shown entirely online via a broadcast studio in Burbank, CA. As we move into the next decade of #esports at @riotgames, some learnings, thoughts, and plans. A thread… 1/8 The showcase of 16 @TFT players and 6 casters was a great mix of talent, but IMHO more importantly… a diverse mix of genders, ethnicities, countries, perspectives, playing styles & more. I’m confident that my friend @angelaroseboro was very proud…
Mar 10, 2020 4 tweets 2 min read
NEWS: The @LeagueOfLegends Mid-Season Invitational, our annual mid-year global tournament event, will move from May to July this year. Competition will begin on Friday, July 3 and conclude on Sunday, July 19. @lolesports Image John Needham, Global Head of #Esports, @riotgames: “Shifting the tournament to the summer offers the best chance to see travel restrictions lifted, allowing teams from leagues around the world to travel and compete safely.” Image
Jan 21, 2020 5 tweets 5 min read
The next phase of our multi-faceted partnership with @LouisVuitton begins today as @TWNGhesquiere unveils the LV Prestige skin available soon to @LeagueOfLegends players around the globe. #LVxLoL Image .@LouisVuitton & @riotgames integrated our brands starting with the Worlds 2019 Trophy Case. LV used 3D models, bold engineering, & cutting-edge tech alongside traditional leather components to create, across 900+ working hours 👇, a case inspired by the @LeagueOfLegends universe Image
Jan 10, 2020 4 tweets 6 min read
The 2020 @lolesports 2020 season officially begins Monday, with our 12 unique yet globally integrated leagues ramping up to showcase the best @LeagueOfLegends players and teams on the planet. Here 👇 are the start dates for the first Seasonal Split of all 12 leagues Image @lolesports @LeagueOfLegends @riotgames The dozen teams that win the first seasonal split will qualify for the Mid-Season Invitational, an international tournament taking place in May, while top teams from the second split will qualify for the 2020 World Championship to take place this fall in China Image