RWF: On-Location Events "Post" COVID-19

By Sessa — Jul 12 2021 16:45 UTC

Sylvanas and The Jailer are not the only adversaries that players will face in the upcoming Race to World First (RWF). While most of us have been stockpiling our snack stash and dusting off our raid legendaries, both Echo and Complexity-Limit are facing the first real challenge of the tier — producing an entertaining RWF event for viewers in the midst of travel restrictions, spreading variants of COVID-19, and an increase in alternate-region raiding.

Ever since the inception of in-person RWF events in 2018, they have become a staple of the World of Warcraft raiding landscape. These live events gave everyone the opportunity to see how top raiders earned the coveted status of “World First” in real-time. Each subsequent event has attracted more guilds, more raiders on site, professional casting, and even appearances from popular WoW content creators.

The world has been facing mounting concern and anxiety about what going “back to normal” even looks like in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. For the RWF players, it is no different. We spoke to both Complexity-Limit and Echo about their upcoming events and got an inside look at what it takes to plan the RWF in the post-pandemic landscape.

“It’s a different type of energy having all players and casters right there in the room.” — Echo

In-Person Attendance

With rising vaccination rates and reduced travel restrictions in both the United States and Europe, Complexity-Limite and Echo have increased their in-person attendance from the skeleton crews they had at the Castle Nathria RWF events:

Complexity-Limit: 27 people (18 raiders and a 9 man casting team will be on location)
Echo: 15 people (8 raiders and 7 support staff will be on location)

Both teams are excited to be reunited with their teammates, with some raiders meeting each other in person for the very first time!

Unique Challenges

Both teams are taking advantage of all the standard safety precautions including masks, rapid testing, social distancing, frequent symptom checks, and vaccinations for all attendees. They have also encountered their own share of… interesting challenges in getting players and staff to the facility and keeping them safe for the duration of the event.

Echo has staff and players residing in numerous countries and areas across Europe, both in and out of the EU. This means careful travel plans that leave ample time for quarantining both before and after the event and adding their own internal protocols to keep their team safe.

They even had to get a Laissez Passer directly from the Swiss Embassy in order to have their British staff attend the event. Don’t worry, I’ll save you the Google search; a Laissez Passer is a special travel document that can be issued by the government, overriding the need for a Visa to permit entry into Switzerland.

Complexity-Limit had their own share of logistical concerns, including a commonly forgotten but extremely necessary consideration: food. With every spare minute of the RWF often consumed by gameplay or strategy, it is extremely important to ensure that players stay well fed and hydrated.

While our gaming sessions are usually littered with trips to the fridge, Complexity-Limit’s players must have their meals delivered to them directly instead of the self-serve catering format that they’ve used in past events. Coupled with limited access to the “RWF Bubble”, they are doing everything they can to keep the venue as safe as possible for everyone involved.

“Our hope is that by the next event, we will be able to host a full house once again. This provides a unique experience for our players, as well as a fun viewer experience.” — Complexity-Limit

Hopes for the Future

The same way we’re dreaming of the day that we don’t have to sit through another Zoom meeting, these world-class teams are anxious to see a RWF where they can put on the most entertaining show for their viewers. We can’t wait to see how the next few weeks unfold for Complexity-Limit and Echo, and who will come out on top when they go head-to-head against Sylvanas Windrunner.

About the Author

Sessa currently mains a Protection Paladin (get your jokes in now, it’s okay, I’ve heard them all before) and is a moderator for the Hammer of Wrath Paladin Class Discord. She also writes Mythic+ Dungeon guides for TankNotes and likes to unwind by finding new ways to frustrate her group with “experiments” when running keys.