S15 record-breaking ticket prices emerge! IG ignites the domestic market, Faker’s popularity soars, Riot regrets their decisions

Greetings to all LPL fans and League of Legends summoners, welcome to Tianxia Game Report.

The S15 World Championship is approaching rapidly, and during this time, domestic ticket pre-sales for different stages have sparked intense demand, particularly for the IG vs. T1 play-in matches which were snapped up by fans quickly.

This can be regarded as the wildest play-in stage in Worlds history, also producing the exorbitant ticket prices for S15.

S15’s sky-high ticket prices appear, IG sets off a surge in the domestic market

This year’s World Championship is hosted in China, where the audience base is already huge. With the home region advantage and Faker’s participation, ticket sales for all stages have seen massive demand. However, due to scalpers, most fans have been unable to secure tickets.

This has caused many fans who missed out on tickets to buy scalped tickets at inflated prices, and as more people buy from scalpers, ticket prices have skyrocketed.

This easily leads to exorbitant ticket prices. At the start of S15 ticket pre-sales, such high prices already appeared. The official ticket prices for the IG vs. T1 play-in matches were only 388-488 yuan, which is very affordable, but most people couldn’t enjoy this price.

As a result, scalped tickets have been sold at multiples of two, ten, or even over twenty times the original price. Up to now, most scalped tickets are sold out, with the most expensive tickets reaching nearly 10,000 yuan, showing how IG and Faker’s popularity has completely ignited the domestic ticket market.

Faker’s popularity multiplies, Riot regrets their choices

IG’s popularity was already high, but facing Faker’s T1 caused ticket prices to multiply dramatically, reaching a point where even wealthy fans can’t get tickets. Many spectators feel that Riot’s chaotic changes hit a critical nerve and now Riot deeply regrets it.

If this were last year’s tournament, IG and T1 would have directly qualified for the round of 16 to play in the Swiss stage. But this year, they must compete in the play-in stage, a rare and harsh scenario in LOL history that forces top teams from the China and Korea regions into a do-or-die battle.

Imagine being a World Championship team traveling to the host country only to play one match and go home. IG might handle it, but if Faker and T1 lose, it means flying from Korea back and forth for nothing.

The ticket rush for IG and T1 could have lasted longer, but the real frenzy happened right at the start.

Many fans eager to watch the matches live are anxious; some have even resorted to becoming volunteers just to watch IG and T1’s matches in person.

Finals tickets about to go on sale, prices expected to rise again

Tomorrow, the S15 World Championship will open ticket sales for the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals stages. It’s expected that the rush tomorrow will be just as intense, with ticket prices fluctuating based on the matchups.

Since the matchups are unknown at this stage, ticket buying is basically blind luck with a significant element of chance.

Personally, I believe the finals will attract the highest interest. Everyone hopes to bet on Faker or an LPL team. The chance that neither Faker nor an LPL team makes the finals is very low, so the finals will likely be a huge battle for attention. Faker’s popularity might even surpass that of the entire LPL. If Faker reaches the finals, ticket prices will skyrocket, and there will also be a performance by G.E.M. at the finals venue.

The quarterfinals and semifinals depend entirely on luck; whether you can see Faker or your favorite LPL team is uncertain. The difficulty in getting tickets might be lower, so those seeking a better chance of success may try for tickets in these stages.

In summary, the World Championship held in China this year will definitely remain extremely popular. Friends who want to attend live should consider factors like the distance from their city to the venue, whether they can successfully get tickets, and whether scalped ticket prices are reasonable before deciding whether to watch in person.