Attending the Worlds 2015 Group Stage

Sadly the physical universe we inhabit doesn't allow us to accommodate all of you here in Paris for the Worlds 2015 Group Stages, but we've come up with the next best thing: a photo tour of the full fan experience! Try to picture yourself in all these photos (or Photoshop yourself in, if you’re really dedicated) and you'll have a good idea of what it's like to be here at the Dock Pullman in Paris. If you're going to be venturing down for Week 2 of the Group Stage, even better! This is what you can expect.

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First things first, you'll know when you're in the right place. The venue is decked out with all-new artwork created especially for this year's World Championship. The earlier fans show up, the more time they have to explore the fan zone before the games begin.

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Here, the doors have been opened and attendees are filtering into the foyer. League of Legends fans are always a pleasure to welcome to our events and the community in Paris has been no exception. Thank you all for being so wonderful and we hope you’re enjoying the show!

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A sneak peek at the foyer area, which houses fan activities. We want every attendee to get the red carpet treatment. 

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Think of the foyer as an airlock for the Worlds competition. It's here that you acclimate yourself to the experience, shedding the petty worries of the Outside World and donning your favourite team's logo at the tattoo stand. At the "My Main Is" stand, you can proudly declare your love for your favourite champion with a hand-written nametag. Strangely, we've seen a lot of people misspelling "Bard" over the week, sometimes even as badly as "Jinx," "Thresh," or even "Blitzcrank."

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At the back of the foyer you'll find the merchandise store, with a fully stocked selection of our new products, as well as fan favourites like the Kog'Maw Dreams and Thresh t-shirts. Anecdotally, it looks like the new Ekko tees are proving especially popular, based on how many attendees are coming back each day wearing love for the boy from Zaun literally on their sleeves. If you don't have space to carry stuff home, you can give your merching orders at the nearby kiosks and have them sent directly to your house.

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As you enter the venue, you'll be greeted by the actual, real Summoner's Cup. This is the exact cup that will be lifted over the heads of the winning team in just a few short weeks. Having it on display is a welcome reminder to everyone that world-class League of Legends play is always just within reach. Who knows, with practice, maybe you too could be hoisting the Summoner's Cup aloft one day? Not alone, though -- this is a team sport (also: that thing is heavy).

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Here's the stage, sitting unoccupied at the beginning of the first day. The air is pulsing with anticipation for two weeks of Worlds-class League play. What you can't see in this still image is that the background and the foreground on the screens in front and behind the players' seats moves together in one fluid motion. Attendees can see it first-hand, but for the rest of you, here's a wee gif of the spectacle in action.

The stage feels very different once the action starts. Anticipation turns to tension as the best of the best take to the Rift. Here's a shot from the first day, when Fnatic forced a surrender out of Invictus Gaming.

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A packed-out venue becomes a sea of illuminated wristbands and waving thundersticks, a noise that frequently gives way to an impassioned roar.

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The crowd extends quite a way, but if you think this is impressive then just you wait. This isn't even Worlds' final form!

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You may notice some familiar faces in the crowd here. We've seen impeccable cosplay so far at Worlds and can't wait to see which champions will be turning up as the competition progresses.

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At the end of each day fans can stick around to meet their favourite teams and take photos. The venue suddenly becomes a much more intimate space as the excitement of the day lingers in the air. GG all!

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So ends the first week of the Worlds 2015 Group Stage. Fans emerge into the night and players stay to practice or return to their hotels for a well-earned rest.

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Week 2 of the Group Stage begins on Thursday 8th October, with four more days of Worlds-class League of Legends. After such a fantastic week, the bar has been set pretty high, so we can't wait to see how Week 2 progresses. See more pictures from Worlds over on Flickr, watch every game from Worlds 2015 so far on our spoiler-free VODs page, and let us know about your favorite moments of the tournament so far. Hopefully we'll see you along the way!