Michael van Gerwen, the runner-up in the 2020 PDC World Darts Championship and winner of the 2014, 2017 and 2019 championships, was top of the two-year PDC Order of Merit and number one seed going into the tournament, having won the UK Open and Players Championship Finals titles in 2020. The reigning champion from 2020 Peter Wright was second seed, having additionally won the 2020 European Championship; and 2020 World Grand Prix champion Gerwyn Price was the third seed. As well as Van Gerwen and Wright, three other previous PDC world champions qualified as seeds, two-time champions Gary Anderson (13th seed) and Adrian Lewis (21st seed), and 2018 champion Rob Cross as 5th seed. Two champions of the BDO World Darts Championship qualified as seeds; three-time BDO champion and 2020 Premier League Darts winner Glen Durrant was the 12th seed with 2014 BDO champion Stephen Bunting in 26th.