Two days, three floors, and dozens of people turning plans into reality. Here’s what the last 48 hours before the ER Champ Finals look like.

The Venue Comes Alive

The World Escape Room Championship Finals take place at The Purgatory in Sofia - a three-floor space that turns into a massive production site just 48 hours before the event begins.

The first part of the ER Champ team arrived in Bulgaria on Friday, October 17, to start work early on Saturday. With the Finals starting on Monday morning, every hour counts. Over the weekend, crews assemble the two championship rooms, build WonderWallz walls, and prepare several additional areas - a showroom for the WonderWallz system, a conference space, a Fan Zone with mini game zone, and multiple technical zones for judges, production crews, and livestream hosts.

At the same time, dozens of meters of cables, cameras, and lights are installed to make sure everything looks perfect both on-site and on screen.

Many Teams, One Goal

Behind the scenes, several specialized teams work together to bring the Finals to life.

Tutek Live is responsible for the entire livestream production, photography, and video coverage. Lockme, the main organizer and the team behind ER Champ, oversees every detail - from the Fan Zone and conference setup to logistics and coordination of other teams. My Cuda Robimy, the company that built the final rooms, supervises the assembly and ensures that all mechanisms and puzzles work exactly as designed. Funky Monkeys, the co-organizer of ER Champ 2025, supports the work at The Purgatory and hosts a pre-event for finalists on Sunday.

In total, several dozen people are on-site, each contributing to the tight and carefully orchestrated schedule.

Saturday and Sunday: A Race Against Time

Saturday is dedicated to building - setting up rooms and walls, testing each puzzle, and laying down the livestream equipment. Sunday is all about fine-tuning. The rooms are tested repeatedly, sometimes more than a dozen times, to ensure flawless operation. Technical crews check every camera, light, and microphone, while the hosts of the livestream rehearse their parts to verify sound, framing, and lighting.

At the same time, another part of the ER Champ team participates in the pre-event hosted by Funky Monkeys, where finalists meet each other, play games, and warm up for the big day. In the evening, an informal gathering in the Abordage board game bar allows participants to relax before the competition.

Precision Above All

The most critical element of the final countdown is reliability. Every puzzle must function perfectly, every camera must transmit without interruption, and the internet connection must handle hours of continuous streaming. There is little room for improvisation - everything must be tested, verified, and ready by Sunday night.

As the clock ticks toward Monday morning, The Purgatory becomes a controlled chaos of cables, props, and quiet determination. For the teams behind ER Champ, the last 48 hours are not just about setting the stage - they are the final puzzle before the Finals begin.