The Worlds 2026 Swiss Stage first-round draw took place after the Play-In final. All eight matches are played on October 23 in Allen, Texas, all best-of-one.
First-round matches
- Gen.G vs Invictus Gaming
- Team Liquid Alienware vs CTBC Flying Oyster
- Anyone's Legend vs Karmine Corp
- G2 Esports vs Dplus KIA
- T1 vs LOS
- Hanwha Life Esports vs TOP Esports
- Team Secret Whales vs LYON
- Bilibili Gaming vs Movistar KOI
The Swiss Stage format
Sixteen teams play five rounds, from October 23 to 26 and from October 28 to 31. A team that reaches three wins advances to the knockout stage, and a team that takes three losses is eliminated. Matches that decide an advancement or an elimination are best-of-three with Fearless Draft, the others are best-of-one.
What comes after
The quarterfinals run from November 3 to 6 and the semifinals on November 7 and 8 in Allen. The final takes place on November 14 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.