Due to fewer head-to-head races during the season, this year's set contains the top 70 eligible men and women's biathletes from the 2019-20 World Cup standings.
 
In a shortened season, the men's overall World Cup title went to the final pursuit race of the year before Norwegian Johannes Thingnes Boe claimed his second straight globe, finishing just two points ahead of the retiring Martin Fourcade of France, with the seven-time champion's compatriot Quentin Fillon Maillet third. Boe and Fourcade also won one of the World Championship races each, with another Frenchman Emilien Jacquelin and Russia's Alexander Loginov both winning their first individual golds.
 
The women's overall World Cup also went to that final race in Kontiolahti, before Italy's Dorothea Wierer also claimed her second straight title, finishing seven points ahead of Norway's Tiril Eckhoff with German Denise Herrmann in third. The World Championship races were split with two golds each between Wierer and Norwegian Marte Olsbu Roeiseland.