League of Legends Worlds 2026 schedule, teams, format, venues, and where to watch

Here's everything you need to know about Worlds 2026 and the activities related to the tournament.

The League of Legends World Championship 2026 is just around the corner! Nineteen teams from six regional leagues are once again coming together to go head-to-head in a bid to raise this year’s Summoner’s Cup.

This year’s theme is THIS IS OUR MOMENT, with Riot Games aiming to make Worlds 2026 more than just the culmination of the LoL Esports season, but a shared moment in history for players, teams, and the wider League community.

With only a few days before the event kicks off, here are all the important details for Worlds 2026, including the full schedule, participating teams, tournament format, venues, Pick’Ems, Fan Fest, in-game content, and where to watch.

The official rules for the 2026 World Championship can be found on Riot Games Competitive Operations. Anyone heading to Worlds in person can also check the Worlds 2026 venue event policies before going.

When and where is League of Legends Worlds 2026?

Worlds 2026 will run from 15 October to 14 November in the US, or 16 October to 15 November in Singapore and Korea, across three cities in the United States. Here are the dates to take note of:

• Play-In Stage: 15 to 18 October in the US / 16 to 19 October SGT/KST, in Los Angeles, California
• Swiss Stage: 23 to 31 October in the US / 24 October to 1 November SGT/KST, in Allen, Texas
• Quarterfinals and Semifinals: 3 to 8 November in the US / 4 to 9 November SGT/KST, in Allen, Texas
• Worlds 2026 Finals: 14 November in the US / 15 November SGT/KST, in Brooklyn, New York

League of Legends Worlds 2026 full schedule and match times

Worlds 2026 Play-In Stage schedule

The Play-In Stage will run from 15 to 18 October in Los Angeles, or 16 to 19 October for viewers in Singapore and Korea, with all matches played as best-of-five series.

All matches begin at 11.00 AM PDT / 2.00 AM SGT / 3.00 AM KST.

• Thursday, 15 October / Friday, 16 October SGT/KST
• Friday, 16 October / Saturday, 17 October SGT/KST
• Saturday, 17 October / Sunday, 18 October SGT/KST
• Sunday, 18 October / Monday, 19 October SGT/KST

Worlds 2026 Swiss Stage schedule

The Swiss Stage will take place from 23 to 31 October in Texas, or 24 October to 1 November in Singapore and Korea, with a mix of best-of-one and best-of-three matches.

12.00 PM CDT / 1.00 AM SGT / 2.00 AM KST:

• 23 October / 24 October SGT/KST
• 24 October / 25 October SGT/KST
• 25 October / 26 October SGT/KST
• 26 October / 27 October SGT/KST
• 31 October / 1 November SGT/KST

3.00 PM CDT / 4.00 AM SGT / 5.00 AM KST:

• 28 October / 29 October SGT/KST
• 29 October / 30 October SGT/KST
• 30 October / 31 October SGT/KST

Worlds 2026 Knockout Stage schedule

The Quarterfinals and Semifinals will be played as best-of-five series in Allen, Texas.

Quarterfinal and Semifinal matches begin at 4.00 PM CST / 6.00 AM SGT / 7.00 AM KST.

Quarterfinals:

• 3 November / 4 November SGT/KST
• 4 November / 5 November SGT/KST
• 5 November / 6 November SGT/KST
• 6 November / 7 November SGT/KST

Semifinals:

• 7 November / 8 November SGT/KST
• 8 November / 9 November SGT/KST

When is the Worlds 2026 Finals?

The League of Legends Worlds 2026 Finals will take place in Brooklyn, New York, on Saturday, 14 November, or Sunday, 15 November for viewers in Singapore and Korea. Worlds Finals begins at 2.00 PM EST / 3.00 AM SGT / 4.00 AM KST.

Which teams qualified for League of Legends Worlds 2026?

Nineteen teams from the LPL, LCK, LEC, LCS, LCP, and CBLOL have qualified for Worlds 2026.

China – LPL

• Anyone's Legend (AL) - First Seed
• Bilibili Gaming (BLG) - Second Seed
• Top Esports (TES) - Third Seed
• Shanghai Invictus Gaming (IG) - Fourth Seed

Korea – LCK

• Gen.G (GEN) - First Seed
• Hanwha Life Esports (HLE) - Second Seed
• T1 (T1) - Third Seed
• Dplus KIA (DK) - Fourth Seed

EMEA – LEC

• G2 Esports (G2) - First Seed
• Movistar KOI (MKOI) - Second Seed
• Karmine Corp (KC) - Third Seed

North America – LCS

• Team Liquid Alienware (TLAW) - First Seed
• LYON (LYON) - Second Seed
• Cloud 9 KIA (C9) - Third Seed

Asia Pacific – LCP

• Team Secret Whales (TSW) - First Seed
• CTBC Flying Oyster (CFO) - Second Seed
• MVK Esports (MVK) - Third Seed

Brazil – CBLOL

• LOS (LOS) (seeding to be confirmed on 10 October)
• FURIA Esports (FUR) (seeding to be confirmed on 10 October)

How does the League of Legends Worlds 2026 format work?

Worlds 2026 begins with a four-team Play-In Stage before moving into a 16-team Swiss Stage and an eight-team Knockout Stage.

Worlds 2026 Play-In Stage format

The Play-In Stage is a four-team, best-of-five double-elimination bracket.

The four participating teams are:

• CBLOL second seed
• Karmine Corp
• Cloud9 Kia
• MVK Esports

Matchups will be decided through a fully random draw following the conclusion of the CBLOL Finals on 10 October, meaning any of the four teams can be drawn against each other. Only one team will advance from the Play-In Stage to join the other 15 teams in the Swiss Stage.

Worlds 2026 Swiss Stage format

The Swiss Stage features 16 teams competing across five rounds.

Teams need to earn three match wins to qualify for the Knockout Stage, while any team that accumulates three losses is eliminated.

The first Swiss Stage draw will take place after the Play-In Stage ends on 18 October in the US, or 19 October in Singapore and Korea.

The Round 1 draw tiers are:

• Tier 1: GEN, AL, TLAW, G2
• Tier 2: CBLOL first seed, TSW, HLE, BLG
• Tier 3: LYON, MKOI, T1, TES
• Tier 4: CFO, IG, DK, Play-In winner

Tier 1 teams will be drawn against Tier 4 teams, while Tier 2 teams will face Tier 3 teams. Teams from the same region cannot face each other in Round 1.

From Rounds 2 through 5, teams will instead be drawn against opponents with the same record. Repeat matchups are not allowed during the Swiss Stage, although teams from the same region can face each other from Round 2 onwards.

Worlds 2026 Knockout Stage format

Eight teams will advance from the Swiss Stage to the Knockout Stage. The Quarterfinals draw will take place after the Swiss Stage ends on 31 October in the US, or 1 November in Singapore and Korea.

The two teams that finish Swiss with 3-0 records will each be drawn against a team that qualified with a 3-2 record. The remaining four teams will then be randomly paired against one another.

All Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and the Worlds Finals will be played as best-of-five series.

Where to watch League of Legends Worlds 2026

Worlds 2026 will be shown across official LoL Esports channels throughout the tournament.

Twitch channels include:

• https://www.twitch.tv/riotgames
• https://www.twitch.tv/ltasul
• https://www.twitch.tv/ltaespanol
• https://www.twitch.tv/lolesportstw
• https://www.twitch.tv/leagueoflegendsjp

Subscribers to these LoL Esports Twitch channels will get custom chat emotes, badges, and ad-free viewing. A portion of subscription revenue will also go into the Global Revenue Pool, which supports LoL Esports leagues and teams.

When does Worlds 2026 Pick’Ems start?

Worlds Pick’Ems and Crystal Ball are returning in 2026, letting viewers make predictions throughout the tournament.

Pick’Ems can be played at lolesports.com/pickems or directly through the League of Legends client.

Here’s when picks open and lock:

• 10 October, 4.00 PM PDT / 11 October, 7.00 AM SGT / 8.00 AM KST: Crystal Ball and Play-In predictions open
• 15 October in the US / 16 October SGT/KST: Play-In predictions lock before the first match
• 18 October in the US / 19 October SGT/KST: Swiss Stage predictions open
• 23 October in the US / 24 October SGT/KST: Swiss Stage predictions lock before the first match
• 31 October in the US / 1 November SGT/KST: Knockout Stage predictions open
• 3 November in the US / 4 November SGT/KST: Knockout Stage predictions lock before the first match
• 14 November in the US / 15 November SGT/KST: Worlds Finals concludes and Pick’Ems scores are finalised

Riot plans to send out Pick’Ems rewards within 48 hours after Worlds ends. Worlds 2026 Pick’Ems can be played in most regions, although prize and reward eligibility may differ depending on local regulations.

When is Worlds 2026 Fan Fest?

Worlds Fan Fest will run from 12 to 14 November at Pier 36 in Lower Manhattan, leading into Worlds Finals. The three-day event will have League of Legends and LoL Esports activities, partner booths and activations, developer panels, special guests, community programmes, and more.

The Worlds 2026 Fan Fest schedule is:

• Thursday, 12 November / Friday, 13 November SGT/KST: 3.00 PM to 9.00 PM EST / 4.00 AM to 10.00 AM SGT / 5.00 AM to 11.00 AM KST
• Friday, 13 November / Saturday, 14 November SGT/KST: 3.00 PM to 9.00 PM EST / 4.00 AM to 10.00 AM SGT / 5.00 AM to 11.00 AM KST
• Saturday, 14 November / Sunday, 15 November SGT/KST: 11.00 AM to 8.00 PM EST / 12.00 AM to 9.00 AM SGT / 1.00 AM to 10.00 AM KST

Riot said more Fan Fest details will be shared closer to the event.

What League of Legends skins and in-game content are coming for Worlds 2026?

Worlds 2026 will also bring new League of Legends skins, chromas, emotes, icons, and other in-game content throughout the tournament.

These include:

• True Damage Know My Name Yasuo
• Standard chromas for the Worlds skin
• Border set and chroma bundles
• An exclusive Worlds chroma through Worlds Unlocked
• Season 3: Worlds 2026 Pass
• Prestige Chroma
• Prestige Emote
• Premium options with additional Mythic Essence and Battle Pass Levels
• LoL Esports team icons
• Regional emotes for the LPL, LEC, LCK, LCS, LCP, and CBLOL
• Elite Worlds Winner Chromas for the 2013 SKT T1 K championship skins

Part of the sales from the True Damage Yasuo skin and bundles, Season 3 Act II: Worlds Battle Pass, Elite Worlds Winner Chromas, team icons, and regional emotes will go to Tier-1 LoL Esports teams.

The International Tournament Skin Promotion will also return after Worlds Finals. Eligible skins used by the winning team during the Finals will be available individually at 33% off.

Prestige, Ultimate, Mythic Variant, Exalted, and Transcendent skins are excluded. If the winning team uses one of those skins during the Finals, Riot will replace it with a comparable eligible skin for the promotion.

What Worlds 2026 content is coming to Wild Rift?

Wild Rift is also joining Worlds 2026 with a new Worlds Volibear skin. The skin has a DIY customisation system that lets players mix and match different parts to create their own look. A Worlds-themed Wild Rift pass will also include more rewards during the tournament.

What Worlds 2026 merchandise will be available?

More Worlds 2026 merchandise is coming, with Riot set to share the full details on 7 October.

The collection will include:

• The fourth edition of Worlds Unlocked, presented by OperaGX
• A Worlds-themed keepsake from Riftbound
• New collaborations
• Worlds merchandise inspired by New York City

Worlds 2026 merchandise will be sold through these regional stores:

• NA/EU: Riot Games Merch Store
• KR: Riot Store KR
• CN: Tmall, Douyin, and JD

Worlds 2026 begins with the Play-In Stage in Los Angeles on 15 October, or 16 October in Singapore and Korea, before moving to Texas and finally New York, where this year’s League of Legends world champion will raise the Summoner’s Cup on 14 November, or 15 November SGT/KST.