The 2026 League of Legends World Championship starts on October 15. Nineteen teams compete for the title across the United States until the Final on November 14, according to the schedule published by Riot Games.
The three stages of Worlds 2026
- Play-Ins: October 15 to 18 at the Riot Games Arena in Los Angeles. Four teams in a best-of-five double-elimination bracket: Karmine Corp (LEC), Cloud9 (LCS), MVK (LCP) and FURIA (CBLOL's second seed). Only one team moves on.
- Swiss Stage: October 23 to 31 at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen, Texas. Five rounds: three wins qualify a team for the Knockout Stage, three losses eliminate it.
- Knockout Stage: November 3 to 8 in Allen, best-of-five. Quarterfinals run November 3 to 6, semifinals on November 7 and 8.
- Final: November 14 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, best-of-five.
Match times to remember
- Play-Ins: 18:00 UTC (7:00 PM in London) from October 15 to 18.
- Swiss Stage: 17:00 UTC on October 23, 24, 25, 26 and 31, then 20:00 UTC on October 28, 29 and 30. The UK and Europe change their clocks on October 25.
- Quarterfinals and semifinals: 22:00 UTC.
- Final: 19:00 UTC (7:00 PM in London).
How the draws work
The Play-In matchups were drawn after the CBLOL Finals on October 10. The first Swiss round is drawn once the Play-Ins end on October 18, and the following rounds on October 23, 24, 26 and 30. The Quarterfinals draw takes place on October 31: the two 3-0 teams face two of the 3-2 teams, and the other four teams are drawn into two more matches.
Key takeaways
One ticket comes out of the Play-Ins, the Swiss Stage sorts the field over five rounds, and everything is best-of-five from the Knockout Stage to the Final in Brooklyn. While you wait for the first match, take the RiftMatch quiz to find the champion that fits you.