But the tournament wasn’t just about the action on stage.

League of Legends publisher Riot Games meticulously crafted the weekend-long series as a fan event, one that encouraged players to cheer for their champions, then go home and play the game themselves.

Many parts of the experience felt just like a sporting event: the lines in the concourse for food, for restrooms, for merchandise. But instead of player jerseys, there were League of Legends figurines, t-shirts and squishable plush hats. The gear didn’t reflect teams, but the game’s “champions” – the playable characters selected at the beginning of a match.

And while much of the young, mostly male crowd simply wore t-shirts and shorts, the cosplay present was intense. Many fans wore outfits that looked like they’d taken days of work to create. The ticket order screen even warned fans that their costumes couldn’t be more than 8 feet tall or 6 feet wide.